The Future
by FinchelFan728
Summary: After graduating from high school, Finn and Rachel fear they are just another high school romance. Then, a crisis changes both their lives - and those of the entire Glee club - forever. Story also on Glee Forum and Glee Boards.
1. Chapter 1: The End of the Beginning

_This is my first ever Glee fanfic, "The Future." Basically, the story is what happens to Finn and Rachel after they graduate. They continue to struggle with their feelings for each other, but when a crisis strikes, their lives, and the lives of the entire club, are forever changed._

And without further ado, here's Chapter 1! Chapter 2 will be posted soon

Chapter 1: The End of the Beginning  
_  
Last performance with New Directions ever,_ Rachel Berry thought. _This is it. After this, I'm done._  
It was graduation day for the Class of 2012 at McKinley High School. For Rachel, this was a bittersweet day.  
She'd been accepted to the school of her dreams and gotten a full scholarship. But this could well be the last time she saw Finn Hudson.  
Rachel had struggled with her feelings for Finn for what felt like forever. Heck, in first grade, she played tag with him at recess. In fifth grade, she got sent to the principal's office for pulling his hair (as a dare from Santana Lopez). But it wasn't until they both joined the Glee club together in tenth grade that the feelings she had for him strengthened. They dated their junior year until Rachel found out Santana had slept with him and he lied about his virginity. To get revenge, Rachel made out with Noah Puckerman, or Puck, as he was known. Finn got mad and broke up with her. Then Finn got back together with Quinn Fabray, his previous girlfriend. Finn and Rachel remained friends throughout their junior year and got together at Nationals in New York that year. They stayed together senior year, helped each other through the college process, took care of each other in hard times, led the Glee club to a Nationals victory, went to prom together, and even had sex, but she still wasn't sure this relationship would survive.  
Rachel would be going to Princeton on a music scholarship. Finn would be going to OSU on a football scholarship.  
The seniors in glee club - Rachel, Finn, Puck, Santana, Sam Evans, Quinn Fabray, Mercedes Jones, Kurt Hummel, Blaine Anderson, Brittany Pierce, Artie Abrams, Lauren Zizes, Mike Chang and Tina Cohen-Chang - had been together for the past three years. Now they were about to scatter to the four winds.  
There were now lots of underclassmen, but the seniors, who would be walking the stage tonight, were the core group.  
They held it together. They all cried at senior night, even the boys.  
New Directions had become a second family.  
After tonight, it would just be a memory.  
Sam and Quinn, the golden couple, would be going to Miami University of Ohio. Brittany was going to a local community college. Blaine was going to NYU. Kurt was going to DePaul in Chicago. Tina and Mercedes were going to OU. Mike was going to Haverford. Santana was going to UCLA on a cheerleading scholarship. Artie was going to Indiana. Puck was going to Bowling Green. Lauren got a wrestling scholarship to University of Kentucky.  
Nothing would ever be the same.  
And it was all beginning to hit Rachel, right before "Pomp and Circumstance" began. The Class of 2012 began to enter the auditorium. The seniors of New Directions would go to stage for their graduation song, "For Good" from Wicked. Finn and Rachel had the solos - as usual.  
"This may be the last duet together," Finn whispered to Rachel as they waited to enter.  
"I know," Rachel said. She looked away, now getting tears in her eyes.  
"Rachel, what's wrong?" Finn asked.  
"I'm okay," Rachel said.  
"No, you're not," Finn said. "What's wrong?"  
"I'm just sad," Rachel whispered.  
Finn gave Rachel one of those hugs that felt so good. "So am I," he said. "I'm going to miss you so much. We'll have to stay in contact."  
"After everything we've been through..." Rachel began. But now it was time for her to enter. She looked over her shoulder. Finn was looking on, watching her go in, with his million dollar smile and big brown eyes. His cap and gown didn't make him look dorky, unlike virtually everyone else.  
Rachel took her position on stage, waiting for the rest of the Glee club to enter. When the rest of the Class of 2012 had their seats, Rachel and Finn took their places by the microphones, with the rest of the club behind them.  
And the music began, with Finn's solo. _I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason,  
Bringing something we must learn,  
And we are led to those who help us most to grow,  
If we let them and we help them in return.  
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true,  
but I know I'm who I am today  
because I knew you... _  
He was looking at Rachel when he was singing. Still, Rachel could only cry.  
She cried throughout the rest of the club singing the chorus, _Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun;  
Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood;  
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?  
But because I knew you, I have been changed for good._  
Now it was time for Rachel's solo: _It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime,  
so let me say before we part:  
So much of me is made of what I learned from you.  
You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart  
and now whatever way our stories end, I know you have re-written mine by being my friend... _  
The group joined in again: _Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea;  
like a seed dropped by a sky bird in a distant wood...  
who can say if I've been changed for the better?  
But because I knew you, because I knew you, I have been changed for good._  
Now the girls sang: _And just to clear the air, I ask forgiveness for the things I've done you blame me for_  
And the boys sang: _But then, I guess we know there's blame to share and none of it seems to matter anymore_  
Finn and Rachel closed the song: _And because I knew you, because I knew you, because I knew you, I have been changed for good._  
And that was it. It was the last performance of the seniors with New Directions.  
Rachel felt pathetic throughout the rest of the ceremony. Graduation was supposed to be a happy time. Instead, she was fighting back tears with everything she had. Was this the end? What would the future hold for her and Finn? She'd heard so many stories about kids who went off to college and were forgotten by their friends from high school. Would that be her? She could hardly focus on the band's tribute, the student speeches and the speeches by the principal, superintendent and school board president.  
Finally, it was time for the awarding of diplomas. And before she was ready, "Rachel Barbara Berry!"  
Rachel went on to the stage, waved to the crowd and accepted her diploma from the school board president. "You're going to do something great," he said to her. "Congratulations."  
"Thanks," Rachel said. She waved to the crowd as she headed back to her seat. She could see Finn applauding.  
And before she knew it again, "Finn Christopher Hudson!"  
Rachel cheered as loud as she could as Finn crossed the stage and accepted his diploma.  
Finally, the last senior received his diploma. The Class of 2012 was declared official graduates, the alma mater was performed and the graduates processed out of the theatre.  
It was really over now.  
Rachel searched for her mom, her dads and her two year old sister Beth in the crowd. It wasn't easy, there were flocks of people. Finally, she found them.  
"We're so proud of you, Rachel," her dad Hiram said.  
"I did it!" Rachel declared. She got out her camera and had her pictures taken with her dads, then with her mom, then with all three of her parents. She found some of her Glee friends. She took pictures with Kurt, Blaine and Mercedes. With Brittany, Artie, Mike and Tina. With Quinn and Sam. With Puck and Lauren. Even Santana was being nice today and asked for a picture with Rachel.  
Rachel was chatting with her parents when she heard a voice, "Rachel! Rachel!"  
Rachel turned around, it was Finn.  
"Congratulations!" Finn said, pulling Rachel in for a hug. "We did it!"  
"Oh, Finn," Rachel giggled. "I'm so proud of you!"  
"I'm more proud of you!" Finn said. "We need a picture!" He handed his mom Carole his camera and Rachel's other dad, Leroy, took out his camera.  
Finn and Rachel held up their diplomas, but Finn put his arm around Rachel and tilted his head toward hers.  
"That's beautiful!" Carole declared. She showed Finn the camera.  
"That's going in my dorm room!" Finn said.  
"I'll have to put it in mine, too," Rachel said.  
"Hey Rachel, do you and your family have any plans for tonight?" Finn asked as he took his little sister, Ally, from his mom's arms and gave her a hug. (Ally was about ten months old.)  
"Not definite," Rachel said.  
"How about you guys join us for dinner, then?" Carole asked Rachel's parents.  
"It's Rachel's big day. Do you want to, honey?" her mom Shelby asked.  
"Yeah, definitely," Rachel said. Might as well have one more dinner with him before we go off to different states, she thought.  
Turned out dinner reservations had been made in advance and it was a surprise for Finn, Rachel and Kurt (Finn's stepbrother). Rachel got to go home to change out of her robe.  
She looked in the mirror. The graduation dress she'd picked out was beautiful. Rather, Kurt, Mercedes and Quinn picked it out for her because she couldn't decide. It was ice blue with shoulder bows and a belt. It had no sleeves and a wispy skirt. She quickly did her hair before heading downstairs.  
Rachel and her dads drove to dinner. When they got there, the Hudson-Hummel family was waiting.  
"Rachel, you look amazing!" Finn said almost immediately. "I love your dress."  
"Quinn, Mercedes and I picked it out," Kurt pointed out.  
"Whatever," Finn said. "Rachel looks beautiful in it."  
"Thanks Finn," Rachel said, struggling to hold in her embarrassment. "You look great, too." The truth was, Finn's tux was something anyone could wear.  
But no one looked good in it like Finn did.  
Rachel tried to enjoy dinner, but her fears of this being the last dinner with Finn clouded her mind. All summer she would be working at a performing arts camp and Finn would be working at a sports day camp.  
Dinner was delicious. But Rachel still didn't feel better.  
She didn't want to be a downer. Everyone else was so happy.  
"I'd like to propose a toast," Kurt's dad (and Finn's stepdad) Burt said as they finished dinner. He stood up and declared, "To Kurt, Finn and Rachel, of the McKinley Class of 2012."  
"To Kurt, Finn and Rachel!" the restaurant said before clinking their glasses.  
After dessert and sips of the drinks, it was time for presents. Rachel gave Finn her gift for him first. She'd gotten all the girls in New Directions the same bracelet and all the boys iTunes cards, but Finn got something special. She watched him open it. It was custom drumsticks with gold stars on them and "I'm Forever Yours, Faithfully" engraved. "Rachel, I love them," Finn said, hugging Rachel. "Thanks so much."  
"I knew you would," Rachel said.  
"Here's yours now," Finn said, handing Rachel a box wrapped in gold paper.  
"Oh, Finn!" Rachel tore the wrapping paper off the box and opened it. There was a beautiful gold star necklace. 14 Karat.  
"Finn!" Rachel gasped. "How many hours did you have to work at Sheets N Things to get me this?"  
Finn smiled. "It was worth it," he told her.  
"Could you put it on me?" Rachel asked.  
"I'd be honored," Finn said. He clasped the necklace around Rachel's neck. "Rachel, I know you'll be a star. You will be amazing. You'll do great things."  
Now Rachel couldn't hold it in anymore and began to cry.  
Finn gave one of those hugs only he could give. "Rachel, what's wrong?"  
"I don't want to leave you!" Rachel sobbed. "I'm going to miss you so much. You're who I have to thank for not being a stuck up egotistic bitch anymore. I'm scared." She finally gathered the courage to look Finn in the eyes. "Do you think this is the end?" she asked, finally getting the nerve to say what she'd dreaded.  
Finn shook his head. "No," he said. "In fact, I think this is only the end of the beginning."


	2. Chapter 2: Move In Day

_Author Notes: Wow, thank you SO much for the positive reception to Chapter 1! I didn't even think anyone would read it, and when I opened my e-mail this morning, I got 2 reviews, 3 favorites and 12 subscribers! Thank you all SO MUCH! You made my day! I'm loving writing this story and I'm so glad I'm not the only one who loves it._

_Anyway, here's Chapter 2. Thanks again, everyone!_

Chapter 2: Move in Day

"Finn, are you ready?" Carole called.  
"Almost," Finn called.  
The summer had flown by and already it was move in day at Ohio State. Everyone else was already gone and back in Lima it was really lonely.  
Still, he wasn't ready to leave. At least not yet.  
The bags were packed and Burt and Carole had loaded the car. Finn's room at home was now pretty barren.  
He went downstairs and got in the car. The drive from Lima to Columbus was almost completely silent. Two weeks ago, Finn had gone along to take Kurt to DePaul. While he would miss his step brother, the emotions that day were nothing like the ones today.  
The worst up until today was when Rachel had left for Princeton three days earlier. Finn had gone to her house to say goodbye and started crying as soon as the car turned the corner. He still loved Rachel, but what if she met another boy at Princeton?  
They'd been texting since she left but hadn't spoken on the phone or on Skype  
Now Finn's text alert went off. It was Rachel. "Good luck with move-in today! Skype at 8 tonight?"  
"YES!" Finn texted back, trying not to reveal this was what he'd been waiting for since Rachel left.  
"Who was that, sweetie?" Carole asked.  
"Rachel."  
"How's she doing?"  
"I think she's doing good."  
Finn sighed and tickled Ally's toes. He'd miss her and his parents too.  
Now they pulled into the OSU parking lot and approached Finn's dormitory. Now it was really here.  
Finn's room was on the second floor, Room 204. Lugging up all the bags merely took forever.  
"I can do the unpacking," Finn said. "You can go back home now."  
"Don't be silly!" Burt said, parking Ally's stroller. "Of course we want to hang out with you."  
The unpacking began, and Finn found the framed photo of him and Rachel from graduation. They looked so happy together. Now Rachel had probably moved on and met a guy who was even better at Princeton.  
He placed the photo on his desk and began putting his clothes in drawers.  
Now the door opened and a boy with messy blond hair and green eyes came in. "Hi!" he said. "I'm Derek, your roommate."  
"I'm Finn," Finn said.  
"Are you excited to be here or what?" Derek said.  
"Yeah, I sort of am, I guess," Finn said.  
"What do you mean, you guess?" Derek said. "We are going to have the best time ever! Football and fraternities and beer! Need I say more?"  
"Whatever," Finn mumbled.  
"You are a downer," Derek said.  
His parents and sister left and he was on a college campus. On his own. He kept looking at his cell phone clock, waiting for 8 p.m. so he and Rachel could Skype.  
"Who's that?" Derek asked, pointing at the picture of Finn and Rachel on Finn's desk.  
"Oh, that's Rachel," Finn said.  
"She's sexy," Derek said. "Does she have a boyfriend?"  
"Yeah, me," Finn said. _And hopefully that's the way it's staying_, he added mentally.  
The day crawled by. All Finn could think about was Rachel. He missed her terribly already, and they'd just moved in to their colleges. He'd known her since they were five and for the first time since then, they were at different schools. Memories kept flashing back. There was the time in second grade that they were painting in art class and Rachel had painted "I LOVE RACHEL" on Finn's painting. Then in seventh grade when they were partners in science class and Rachel had grabbed Finn's hand when she was bothered by the image on the microscope. Did Rachel even remember those times? Probably not, Finn concluded.  
What he regretted more than anything was their freshman year and the beginning of their sophomore year of high school, when his friends threw slushies at her. Why hadn't he told them to stop? What was wrong with him?  
Then he and Rachel bonded over Glee. And they'd been struggling with their feelings since. At least Finn was. What he wanted more than anything was to be with Rachel again. Physically. So many high school romances ended once they went off to college. Finn had always thought he and Rachel were something special, not just another high school romance. Of course, that's what the couples who ended up breaking up felt, too. Even during their breakups, Finn's love for Rachel had never died. He just hated that this could be the end.  
All these thoughts and more raced through Finn's head as he sat in his floor meeting.  
"Are you okay?" the RA, Josh, asked Finn as the students began to leave. "You looked unfocused and distracted."  
"I'm just really homesick already," Finn said.  
"Well, maybe a good dinner will make you feel better," Josh said. "And you can come to my room if you ever need to talk."  
"Thanks, I appreciate it," Finn said. He rushed through dinner and then hurried back to his room and logged onto his new laptop, browsing the Facebook pages of his former classmates. Sam and Quinn were having the time of their life. Of course, because they had each other. Finn should have talked Rachel into coming here.  
Finally, 8 p.m. arrived. Finn logged onto Skype, and right away, there was a call from Rachel Berry. Finn clicked answer.  
"FIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!" Rachel squealed. She was sitting right there, wearing a pink tank top and a blue skirt. Her smile hadn't changed, and her eyes were sparkling. But something looked different...  
The long, wavy hair she had all summer was gone. Her hair was now stick-straight and cut just below her chin, with side bangs on the left. It was a good look.  
"Rachel!" Finn said. "Oh my God, you cut your hair!"  
"Thirteen inches gone," Rachel said with a smile. "Do you hate it?"  
"No, in fact, I absolutely love it," Finn said. "So, how's Princeton?"  
"It's good," Rachel said. "My suitemates are really cool. I miss you though. And I miss everyone else, too. I haven't talked to anyone else from back home yet, except Quinn last night."  
"You skyped with Quinn before you skyped with me?" Finn asked.  
"I had to see what she thought of my hair and if she thought you'd like it," Rachel admitted. "If she didn't think so, I'd get extensions."  
"Well, you'd look gorgeous no matter what," Finn said. "But even more so now."  
"Thank you Finn," Rachel said. "Speaking of hair, you need to get yours cut, too. It looks like you haven't since graduation."  
"Oh yeah," Finn said. "Remember when I had long hair in fifth grade, like yours is now, and you liked to pull it?"  
"Of course I do!" Rachel said. "So, how's OSU?"  
"Move in was okay today," Finn said. "I'm still getting used to it."  
"How's your roommate?"  
"He's okay, I guess."  
"Well, I'm sorry he's not better. Where is he now?"  
"Assuming from what he said this afternoon, out partying."  
"Tell him if he tries to mess with you, I'm coming right there to beat him up."  
"Thanks, I will."  
"I have to show you something."  
"Really? What?"  
Rachel apparently moved the computer. At the top of her shelf was the photo of her with Finn from graduation.  
"I have that picture on my desk," Finn said.  
"Glad you haven't forgotten me," Rachel said. "Let me tell you, I miss you already. It's so odd not having anyone I really know here."  
"How could I forget you?" Finn said with a smile.  
"How could I forget you?"  
The door opened, and Finn's roommate and two other boys came in.  
"Who's that?" Rachel asked.  
"My roommate and some friends of his," Finn said.  
"Who are you talking to?" one of the boys demanded.  
"My girlfriend Rachel. So please be quiet."  
"Hi, Rachel!" The boys shouted.  
"Rachel, maybe I should go now," Finn said. "Now that they're here, we can't have a real conversation."  
"We should Skype again tomorrow and have a real one," Rachel said. "What time works for you? How about seven?"  
"Seven sounds good," Finn said. "I'll talk to you then."  
"Love you!" Rachel said.  
"Love you too!" Finn said, before signing off. Then he turned to his roommate. "I was just talking to my girlfriend. Can't you guys be respectful of that?"  
"Shouldn't you move on with your life?" one of the boys said. "You know, Rachel's probably going to find a boyfriend at her college who's much hotter than you and much smarter and much more fun to be with."  
"Rachel said there's nobody hotter and more fun to be with than me!"  
"Ah, girl issues. How about you talk to us?"  
"I don't want to!"  
"Geez, maybe you shouldn't have come to college. You don't seem to have moved on."  
Finn stormed out of the room and went to the RA's room down the hall.  
"What's up, Finn?" the RA said, looking up from his computer.  
Finn collapsed on the RA's couch and began crying.  
"Shh. You're okay," the RA whispered. "What's wrong?"  
"I'm just super homesick already. I miss Rachel. And I don't think she cares."  
"Who's Rachel?"  
"She's my girlfriend. I've known her since first grade and we've had a complicated relationship. Now we're off at different colleges and my love for her is only growing. But she's changing on me."  
"How so?"  
"Well, she's dressing differently and she cut off her hair. And she says she loves her suitemates. We were skyping, then my roommate and his friends came in and started being obnoxious. She logged off. We're planning to talk again tomorrow, but who's to say something won't happen again tomorrow?"  
"If she didn't still care about you, she wouldn't want to talk to you."  
"I hate my roommate. I hate it here. I want to go back home and be with Rachel."  
"Rachel's not there. I'm sorry you're in this situation. The first few days are hard for everyone. Your roommate is having problems, even if he won't show it. Rachel's probably homesick too but she's experimenting with different looks and lifestyles to try out things. Are you doing anything here?"  
"Football. But I doubt I'll get to play much."  
"I'll tell you what. Give it a couple days and see how things go. If things STILL aren't better, come back and we'll figure something out."  
"Okay. Thanks."  
Finn went back to his room, where Derek and his friends were still hanging out. "I'm going to bed," Finn said. "Would you guys mind going somewhere else?"  
"You're going to bed ALREADY?" Derek said. "Geez, what's wrong with you?"  
"It's complicated. I'm tired."  
"Okay, sleep well." The boys left the room.  
Finn really wasn't going to bed, he just wanted to be alone. He turned on his computer and began looking through pictures. Now, all the fun times he had with Rachel were just a memory. Who knew if she'd even want to still be friends?


	3. Chapter 3: At School On Their Own

___Author Notes: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I NEVER thought I would get 300 views, five reviews, seven favorites and seventeen subscribers in less than 48 hours of my story being posted, with only two chapters up! I'm having lots of fun writing this story and I hope you enjoy. Here is Chapter 3. WARNING: A HUGE event will take place in Chapter 4._

__Chapter 3: At School On Their Own

First day of classes at Princeton. For the first time in 13 years, Rachel would be going to school - without Finn.  
The night before classes started was more than a little nerve wracking. Rachel had finally talked to Finn. The truth was, she had ended their Skype last night early to avoid telling him how lost she really felt at school.  
She didn't want to worry him. Even worse, she didn't want to seem desperate or needy. He may have seemed a little down last night, but it was the first night. When he started football, he'd probably be fine.  
Being at a different school than Finn, for Rachel, was just tragic. He was the first real friend she'd ever had. He was the first person who'd seen past her diva-like behavior and could see she was truly a good person. That all she wanted was to be accepted.  
With Finn's help, Rachel had more friends by the end of high school. At the beginning of high school, she and Mercedes always got into girl fights. She and Kurt had insult competitions. Quinn treated Rachel like crap. Now, other than Finn, those were Rachel's three best friends. She had never seen that coming.  
It was Finn who had helped her tone her personality down and come out of her shell. She no longer believed she was all she used to think she was. Yes, she was good, but she wasn't the best ever. She was, for the most part, just like everyone else, only a stronger singer. And of course, there were things she was weaker than average at. Her dads had raised her to think she was special, and Finn taught her that she was special, but she didn't have to be a diva about it.  
Enough thinking. Rachel forced herself out of bed and went to her suite's common room. She wasn't stuck in a standard double like many of her friends. She was in a mini-apartment with three other girls. Each girl had her own bedroom, and two shared each of the bathrooms. All four of them shared a living room area.  
Rachel's three suitemates, Amanda, Lila and Rebecca, were just... well, they seemed nice and cool enough, but Rachel hadn't gotten used to them yet. Amanda was hyperactive and always seemed to be on a sugar high. She ran around the suite, talked in a loud voice and got overexcited constantly. Lila was what one might consider a punk. She played loud hard rock metal music, dressed in all black and had purple hair streaks. Rebecca was a diva. Her wall was covered with pictures of all the "hot" male singers and actors.  
Their first night at school, the girls went to New York together for shopping. They all wanted to go to different stores, but Rebecca talked Amanda and Rachel into getting a spa treatment. (She didn't manage to talk Lila into it...) Facials, manicures, hair, all that. That was when Rachel decided to take the plunge and cut off 13 inches of her hair. (The salon cut your hair for free if you cut off 12 inches or more and then they donated it to make wigs for cancer patients.) Then they went shopping and Rachel did not buy a single animal sweater or plaid skirt. Rather, she was dominated by tank tops and capris. After their expedition, she was so worried about what Finn would think of her new hair and new clothes, she had an emergency Skype date with Quinn.  
The second night, Rachel did not hang out with her suitemates. They each went to a different party. Rachel had one drinking experience in high school, and the hangover was one of the worst feelings she'd ever felt. She wasn't going to take any chances, especially now that there was no one here to help her out of it.  
Rachel's phone beeped. It was Finn. "Good luck in classes today! Can't wait to hear all about it tonight. XO Finn."  
"Awww!" Rachel said out loud. "He's SO sweet!"  
"Who, Rachel?" Rebecca asked.  
"Finn," Rachel said. She typed a reply to his text: "Thanks so much! Have fun at football today."  
"Who's Finn?" Amanda asked.  
"He's my boyfriend," Rachel said.  
"Rachel, are you sure that's going to last?" Rebecca asked.  
"You don't know Finn and me," Rachel said. "It will last." She just missed Finn so much. All she wanted was to see him again.  
Rachel's first ever class was Intro to College Life. From the brochures, it sounded like a waste of time. Still, she had to go to it.  
"Hi," Rachel stuttered, shy about public speaking for the first time in her life. "Uh, my name is Rachel Berry, I'm from Lima, Ohio... I was in the Glee Club in high school and it was the best experience of my life... I have the best boyfriend ever and I don't know what I'd do without him."  
"Thank you, Rachel," the professor said. "Next."  
After the entire class finished their introductions, the students were given a survey to fill out. Rachel looked over it and filled it out.  
_Name: Rachel Berry  
Hometown: Lima, OH  
Major: Music  
Favorite Color: Pink  
Favorite Food: Salad  
Most Important Person in Your Life: Finn Hudson  
Best Experience of Your Life So Far: Glee Club  
Where do you see yourself in five years?:  
In five years, I want to be Mrs. Finn Christopher Hudson. I want to grow old with Finn. I want to have a family together. I want to have beautiful children. I want him to wake up every morning for the rest of his life and know how much he is loved. I want him to bug me when I'm 80 years old.  
Ideally, I would like to be on Broadway, but I doubt that'll happen, so if I can't do that, I'd like to coach a Glee club like the one I was in. Glee changed my life. Before I joined Glee, I was an egotistic diva with no friends, getting slushies thrown on me. After, I had more close friends than I ever bargained for. And I realized that I wasn't some big star that I thought I was. I was better than average, but there were other things I was worse than average at. It's my hope that other kids can grow in the same way that I did._  
Rachel's phone beeped as she was leaving class. It was Kurt. "How are you doing?"  
"I'm doing good. I miss Finn and all of you guys but other than that I'm fine. How are you?"  
"College is awesome! Everyone here is so cool!"  
"I'm glad to hear that. Have you talked to Blaine?" Rachel smiled, remembering Blaine wasn't too far away. At least someone was nearby.  
"Yeah, he's in NYC and he wants to see you. Just don't date again!" When Blaine thought he might be bisexual, he and Rachel had gone on a date. Then Blaine realized he was really gay.  
"Trust me I won't. He's all yours."  
"Good. Take care of him."  
"I will. Love you!"  
"Love you too!"  
The phone went off with a text again. It was Mercedes. "Rachel! OMG guess who's here?"  
"IDK. Who?"  
"Matt Rutherford!"  
"I always wondered what happened to him." Matt Rutherford had been in Glee club with them sophomore year but had transferred junior year without telling anyone.  
"He asked me out!"  
"OMG!"  
"IKR? Just wanted to tell you."  
"Well, I'm really excited for you!"  
"How's Finn?"  
"We're talking tonight."  
"That's good. G2G to class."  
"K, love ya!"  
"Love you!"  
Was EVERYONE enjoying college except Rachel? All she'd really thought about since she got here was how much she missed Finn. She expected it to be hard, but not THIS hard.  
Her Introduction to College Living instructor e-mailed her: "Rachel, you sound to focused on your boyfriend. He's probably going to find a new girlfriend at his college. And you need a real career."  
_PLEASE! _Rachel thought. This was what she wanted out of her life. Finn WAS what she wanted from her future. She never dreamed this day would come, but she would rather marry Finn than be on Broadway.  
Math and English classes went okay. This semester, Rachel was forced to mostly take core classes, but that was what first semester was. The day crawled by and finally, it was seven.  
Rachel logged onto Skype and called Finn. He picked up right away.  
"I'm so excited to see you!" Rachel said, as soon as Finn was on screen.  
"You too," Finn said. "So, how were classes?"  
"They were all right," Rachel said. "In one of my classes we had to write a paragraph about where we see ourselves in five years and -"  
"And what?" Finn asked.  
"Oh, never mind," Rachel said.  
"Now you've got me wondering, Rachel!" Finn said. "Tell me!"  
"I said that I wanted to coach a Glee club in five years if I can't be on Broadway," Rachel said, afraid to say that she said she wanted to marry Finn.  
"Really?" Finn said. "I never thought I'd see the day that you ditched your dreams of Broadway. I still think you may end up on Broadway one day."  
"Awww, you're so sweet!" Rachel said. "So, how's OSU?"  
"Football was all right today," Finn said. "Oh, and I followed your advice and got a haircut."  
"I noticed," Rachel said. "I like it, but you didn't have to take me too seriously!"  
"No, I didn't want to be hot under that helmet," Finn said. "But they probably aren't going to play me much."  
"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.  
"What I said," Finn said. "They had me sit out part of practice because they're having the lower level kids not play as much."  
"But you got a scholarship!" Rachel gasped.  
"Guess that's not good enough," Finn said. "Ugh."  
"Well, I'll always be watching and looking for you," Rachel said. "It sucks that you guys don't have any games close to me."  
"I know!" Finn said. "I miss you."  
"I miss you too," Rachel said. "I miss everyone. I mean, I talked to Quinn the other day and I texted Kurt and Mercedes but other than that I haven't really talked to anyone."  
"Yeah, I've talked to Sam and Puck," Finn said. "And Kurt, but since he's my brother..."  
"Yeah," Rachel said. "Mercedes met up with Matt Rutherford and he asked her out."  
"Are you serious?" Finn said. "I thought he like, dropped off the face of the planet."  
"Apparently not," Rachel said. "Everyone I've talked to is doing great."  
"Well, are you?" Finn asked.  
Rachel was afraid to tell him how much she missed him. He'd probably be turned off. "I'm doing fine, still getting used to it," she said.  
"I'd say that's how I'm doing, too," Finn said.  
"Finn, you'll be fine," Rachel said. "You're Finn Christopher Hudson. You're amazing. I have no doubt in my mind that college will be great for you."  
"I could say the same thing for you," Finn said.  
They just talked like old times for nearly an hour before Finn's roommate got back. "Maybe I should go now," Finn said, and Rachel knew why.  
"Don't fall in love with any hot girls down there," Rachel said impulsively.  
"Don't fall in love with ANYONE," Finn said.  
"Too late," Rachel said.  
Little did either of them know what was going to happen soon.


	4. Chapter 4: Shattered Glass

___Thanks so much for all your reviews, everyone! Here is Chapter 4. I really love writing this story and am happy with how it's coming along. Hopefully you'll like it too!_

__Chapter 4: Shattered Glass

A month had gone by. College wasn't getting better for Finn. He missed Rachel so much it was like having a constant stomachache. They had skyped every day, more than he even talked to his own mother. He didn't tell Rachel how much he missed her. She always seemed happy when they skyped.  
Football was not what he'd hoped it would be. He hadn't played in the game that weekend.  
He wanted more than anything, other than to be with Rachel, to quit football. No one there was very nice and the coaches yelled at the team members constantly. It didn't make him happy.  
Today Finn was at practice. Being forced to run laps. And feeling sick to his stomach. Workouts had never made him sick before. But nothing about college was what he was used to.  
After finishing a lap, Finn collapsed.  
"What's going on, #5?" the coach shouted over his radio.  
"I'm tired," Finn said. Then he heard the radio. "All students at Princeton are absolutely devastated by the tragedy..."  
"What happened?" Finn asked his coach. "The radio..." What if something happened to Rachel?  
"Just a masacre at Princeton," the coach said. "Someone raided one of the freshman dorms and there were a few deaths and dozens of students in the hospital."  
"What?" Finn gasped. "I need to check my phone."  
"Get back to practice, #5," the coach snapped.  
"I can't, my girlfriend goes to Princeton," Finn said. "I need to see if she's okay."  
"Check your phone and come RIGHT back to practice," the coach demanded.  
Finn ran to his bag and opened his phone. Seventeen missed calls. He immediately speed dialed Sam.  
When Sam picked up the phone, he just said, "Rachel's in the hospital! We've all been trying to get a hold of you for hours."  
"Oh my God... oh my God... oh my God..." Finn said, losing his breath. "What hospital?"  
Sam gave Finn the name of the hospital and said, "Try to catch the earliest train or flight you can."  
Finn ran back to practice and said to the coach, "I'm sorry, but I can't stay."  
"If you leave practice, you're off the team!"  
"I don't care! I have a girlfriend fighting for her life!"  
"I don't think you being there will increase her chances of survival."  
"Shut up!" Finn shouted. He grabbed his bag and ran to his car, rushing to the airport. In what felt like a blur, Finn paid for an airplane ticket for a plane leaving in ten minutes, rushed onto the plane, with only his wallet and his water bottle. As soon as he took his seat, the plane took off.  
When the plane landed in New York, Finn caught a bus and got off at a stop five blocks from the hospital Rachel was at. With frozen emotions and feeling absolutely nothing, he rushed inside the hospital. "Where's Rachel Berry?" he asked the receptionist.  
"She's in Room 423," the receptionist said.  
"Thank you," Finn said, just rushing up four flights of stairs.  
In the fourth floor waiting room, the other twelve members of the class of 2012 from Glee club sat.  
"What are you guys doing here?" Finn asked in shock.  
"We have to be here for Rachel," Artie said. "They won't let us in her room."  
"Why not?" Finn asked.  
"Finn, you'd better sit down, you look pooped," Mike said.  
"Not until I see Rachel!" Finn said.  
"Finn, sit down," Mercedes said. "We have to tell you something -"  
Shock and horror filled Finn's mind. Rachel could not be...  
Finn took a seat, and his stepbrother sat next to him and put his arm around him. "Rachel wasn't shot," Kurt said. "But she was beaten and is very severely injured. She hit her head with a lot of force when she fell. She is currently unconscious and on life support... I'm so sorry Finn. She probably won't survive."  
Finn was completely speechless and couldn't breathe. He just stared at the ground. Not Rachel... she just couldn't. It wasn't her time. It wasn't.  
"I'm going to see Rachel," Finn declared, getting out of his chair. He ran to the receptionist and demanded to see Rachel Berry.  
"Your name?" the receptionist barked.  
"Finn Hudson."  
"Mr. Hudson, I don't know if you want to see her," the receptionist said. "She's not - "  
"NO!" Finn screamed, causing many to look up. "She's my girlfriend! She's always been one of my best friends! I am going to see her!" With that, he ran to Room 423.  
Rachel was in the bed, hooked up to the ventilator. Only Rachel would still look beautiful under these circumstances. She had a huge blotch on her face and blotches all over her arms. Finn didn't even have the heart to take off her covers. What did her legs and torso look like? He was afraid.  
"Oh, Rachel," Finn said, sitting on the bed. "I'm so sorry this happened. I don't know if you can hear me, but you need to know that I love you. I love you more than I could ever say. You make my life so wonderful. When I wake up in the morning, I always look at the picture of us on my desk..." _Now, that may well be the last picture ever taken of us together,_ Finn thought.  
The door opened, and Finn turned around. The rest of the group was entering the room. "You don't have to be here if you don't want to," Finn said, with tears in his eyes.  
"We want to sing for Rachel," Quinn said. "Just like we did for Kurt's dad."  
"We couldn't NOT be here," Kurt said. "We're a family. We never thought..."  
"I'm so tired of chances!" Finn said. "Why can't there just be a 100% chance?"  
"This is hard for all of us," Blaine said. "But especially you."  
"I'm not leaving this room," Finn said. "Not until Rachel can." He just lay down on the bed beside Rachel and held her close. "If it happens, I want it to happen in my arms."  
As Finn held Rachel, the rest of the group began to sing: _Don't give up  
It's just the weight of the world  
When your heart's heavy I,  
I will lift it for you  
Don't give up  
Because you want to be heard  
If silence keeps you I,  
I will break it for you  
Everybody wants to be understood  
Well I can hear you  
Everybody wants to be loved  
Don't give up  
Because you are loved _  
All this made Finn think of was all the times he and Rachel sang together. Now, he may well lose her. Not just to college. Forever.  
At the end of the song, the club agreed to let Finn have some time alone with Rachel and they slowly left. Everyone told Finn that they were there for him and would be back in the morning.  
"You'd love to see everyone again," Finn said to Rachel. "I just wish we weren't all seeing each other again so soon under these circumstances."  
"She can't hear you." Finn looked up. A doctor was standing there.  
"I'm sorry, Finn," the doctor said. "I don't think it will be long."  
"You can't give up!" Finn said.  
Any other words the doctor said were a blur in Finn's head. He didn't try to comprehend them, he just looked at Rachel, praying she'd be okay.  
"I guess we can't get rid of you?" the doctor said.  
"I'm sleeping here tonight," Finn said. "And every night until she gets better. You aren't getting rid of me."  
The doctor told Finn that all three of Rachel's parents would come the next morning and maybe Finn would be willing to leave the room then. Finn told the doctor straight out that wasn't going to happen. He would let them hover over Rachel, talk to her, try to take care of her, but he wouldn't be leaving the room.  
As soon as the doctor left that night, Finn sent Sam a text message: _I have to go to the bathroom, but I'm afraid to leave Rachel._  
Sam texted back: _Go and make it quick. I doubt anything will happen.  
But what if -  
Just go! You don't want to pee on the bed.  
Finn managed to smile and texted back. Okay, I'll make it quick. Thanks for coming this afternoon.  
No problem. We'll be back tomorrow. We all care about Rachel. And we care about you, too._  
Finn's run to the attached bathroom was probably the fastest of his life. When he came back, he noticed Rachel's stomach was moving up and down. At least she was breathing.  
Finn struggled to sleep. He didn't want to sleep, he wanted to wake up from this horrible nightmare he was having.  
Only this wasn't a nightmare, it was real.  
He got out Rachel's laptop and logged on (he still knew her password to turn it on) and went on his Facebook. His wall was covered with good wishes for him and Rachel. Even more touching was all the statuses Glee kids had put for Rachel.  
_Artie Abrams: Never thought this soon we'd be seeing one of our own fighting for her life. Come on, Rachel Berry.  
Blaine Anderson: Rachel Berry, you are a fighter. Hold on, stay strong. You'll get through this.  
Mike Chang: Come on, Rachel Berry, don't give up!  
Tina Cohen-Chang: Rachel Berry, you WILL recover.  
Quinn Fabray: Rachel Berry, I know you'll be fine. You're too strong NOT to be. I believe in you. Keep fighting! I love you.  
Sam Evans: You were amazing with your talents, you'll make an amazing recovery. Get well soon Rachel Berry.  
Kurt Hummel: Praying for the first time in my life for my girl Rachel Berry. Finn Hudson, we love you, too.  
Mercedes Jones: Godspeed Rachel Berry, we all love you.  
Santana Lopez: Feel better Rachel Berry, we're all thinking about you.  
Brittany Pierce: Dear Santa, please come early this Christmas and make Rachel Berry better. (Oh yeah,_ Finn thought, _Brittany STILL believed in Santa.)  
Noah Puckerman: Everyone please say a prayer for Rachel Berry, Finn Hudson and all those who know Rachel.  
Lauren Zizes: Get better Rachel Berry, you're so important to us all._  
Finn posted his own status: _Thank you all for your love and support. I'm with Rachel now at the hospital. She needs your thoughts and prayers so keep them coming. I can't thank anyone enough! Rachel will WIN this fight!_  
Finn shut down the computer and crawled under the covers with Rachel. "I'm going to be right here next to you," he whispered. "I'm not going away."  
Rachel might be offended that he was in bed with her. But nothing was normal about these circumstances.  
Finn had NEVER seen this coming. Never, in a million years, did he think he'd be lying in a hospital bed, beside Rachel, as she fought for her life. He read about these things happening in the newspaper, saw them on TV, heard about them online - and would feel part sympathetic and part grateful he, his family and friends were safe.  
Now he and Rachel were that situation, for everyone else.  
Finn didn't think anyone, not even Rachel's parents, wanted Rachel to recover as badly as he did. Their history was so complicated, one of the craziest out of anyone Finn knew. They'd gone from classmates to Glee club mates. Then Rachel developed a crush on Finn when he was with Quinn. He felt his feelings growing for Rachel, but felt like he couldn't leave Quinn, especially because she was pregnant and had lied and said it was him. When Finn found out the baby was Puck's and broke up with Quinn, Rachel decided to make Finn her boyfriend. Finn told Rachel he wanted to be single for a while, but quickly - but not quickly enough - realized he wanted to date Rachel. Rachel was dating Jesse and Finn fought for her. When Rachel and Jesse broke up, Finn and Rachel got together. Then there was the drama with Puck and Santana. Rachel tried to get Finn back. He still loved her, but wouldn't take her back and began dating Quinn again. It didn't work out with Quinn and he still loved Rachel. Finally, they got back together at Nationals. Throughout senior year, they'd stuck together, but college and the fear of a long distance relationship not working were always in the back of their minds.  
After leaving for college, Finn felt Rachel's absence and hoped to propose to her sometime in the near future. Then she almost died.  
Now, whether it was as a fiancee, a girlfriend or a friend, all Finn wanted was to have Rachel back.  
He touched her arm. It hurt his hand just to touch it. It was so rough.  
Even if Rachel survived, what lay ahead was more than likely months of surgeries and pain.  
"I'm so sorry, Rachel," Finn whispered. "Not just about this, about everything. I'm sorry I never got to tell you how I truly feel. I love you. I love you more than life itself. You are my only exception..."  
Then that brought back memories of Rachel singing a song to him called "The Only Exception" in Glee club. Finn started crying again. He wasn't even sure how many times he'd cried today.  
This time was different though; he managed to cry himself to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5: Last Resort

___Thanks for your reviews everyone! I REALLY appreciate them. I've said before that I didn't think people would read it, and I'm so excited people are reading it, leaving reviews and adding it to their favorites. Here's Chapter 5. Enjoy, review, subscribe, favorite! :)_

__Chapter 5: Last Resort

Finn rolled over and saw the clock at the hospital room. 7:42 a.m. How had he managed to sleep at all, let alone for nearly four hours?  
He had dreamed about Rachel the previous night. Not about Rachel's accident. Just about Rachel. About the good times they had together.  
If only this hadn't happened. Now when Finn saw Rachel, the first thing he thought of was the reason why she was in the hospital. The first thing he noticed was her scars and scrapes and bruises. That would be the first thing ANYONE would see when they looked at her. Some people may not be able to look past the scars and scrapes and bruises. Rachel was a wonderful person. Now if someone walked into the room, her wounds would be the first thing they saw, and may not even be willing to talk to her.  
The hospital room phone rang. Not taking his eyes off Rachel, Finn picked up the phone. "Hello?"  
"Finn!" It was his mother. "You're there that early? I've been worrying about you. You didn't even tell me you were going to New York. I found out because Shelby dropped Beth off to stay with us."  
"Sorry I didn't call, Mom," Finn said. "And yeah, I slept here."  
"Did you bring your phone?"  
"Yeah, apparently the battery died and I haven't charged it. I don't even have my charger. I literally rushed from football practice to the plane. I only brought my phone, my wallet and my water bottle."  
"Finn, how's Rachel?"  
Finn sighed. "Not well."  
"I'm so sorry to hear that. Rachel's a great girl."  
"She is." Finn started crying again. "I just... I don't know, Mom. I just don't know."  
"How long do you think you'll stay?"  
"Until she gets out of the hospital."  
"What's the hospital address? I'll send you and Rachel a package."  
"Thanks. Have Kurt text you the address because I can't even remember."  
"Have Rachel's parents come?"  
"Her mom and dads are coming today. The rest of the club is coming, too. I just wish there was something I could do."  
"Finn, being there is doing something. Rachel would be so happy that you care this much. You slept on the floor of a hospital room."  
"I didn't sleep in the floor, Mom. I slept in the bed with her."  
"That was such a nice thing to do."  
"Mom, I feel so emotionally drained. Can I just go sit with Rachel?"  
"Of course you can. I love you, Finn."  
Finn went back to Rachel's bed and held her hand, staring into her face.  
The door opened, and her parents and a doctor came in.  
"Oh, my baby! My baby!" Shelby said, breaking down and running to Rachel's bedside.  
"Ms. Corcoran, Mr. Berry, Mr. Berry, I'll leave you here with your daughter," the doctor said. "We've already talked, it's important for you to have time with her."  
The doctor left and Hiram looked up at Finn.  
"Finn, were you here all night?" he asked.  
Finn nodded.  
"Thank you, Finn. We can NEVER thank you enough," Hiram said.  
"I couldn't NOT be here," Finn said. "I love Rachel too much to leave her in here alone."  
Finn continued to sit at Rachel's bedside and watched her parents weep at the sight of their daughter.  
"Finn, you don't have to stay," Leroy said. "How about you go sit in the waiting room or something? You need a break. You slept here."  
Finn shook his head no. "I'm not leaving this room. Not until Rachel can."  
"Thank you, Finn," Leroy said.  
A few hours passed. Very little happened, but Finn's internal pain wasn't going away. He didn't really talk to Rachel's parents, just looked at Rachel. It still hadn't really hit him. Maybe it never would. If Rachel died, he only knew one thing: he would be an absolute mess.  
Not that he already wasn't.  
At about 10 a.m., the doctor came in. "Mr. Berry, Mr. Berry, Ms. Corcoran, I want to talk to you in the hall about Rachel's test results," he said._  
This couldn't be good_, Finn thought. He tried to divide his attention between Rachel and what was going on in the hall. All he could comprehend from what he saw in the hall was things weren't good.  
"You'll be okay, Rachel," Finn whispered, really trying to reassure himself what he already knew to be false. More than likely, Rachel would not be okay.  
Rachel's parents came back in the room. Finn took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to ask "What did the doctors say?"  
"Don't think about it, Finn," Hiram said.  
It wasn't good. The morning crawled by. Rachel wasn't getting any better.  
The glee club was back by lunch time and were escorted in by the doctor. "Now that Rachel's friends are here, why don't you adults take a break?"  
Hiram, Leroy and Shelby left the room.  
"Do you - " the doctor said to Finn.  
"I'm staying right here!" Finn said.  
"All right, then," the doctor said. Clearly, he knew Finn wasn't leaving.  
"I haven't left at all," Finn told the group. "Unless you count to go to the conjoined bathroom."  
"How is Rachel?" Artie asked.  
"Unfortunately, not much change from yesterday," Finn said. "It seems like she's in a lot of pain. It hurt my hand just to touch her."  
"Well, do you think she can eat?" Lauren asked. "We brought some food."  
"I doubt it, but you guys can eat if you haven't yet," Finn said. "I'm not hungry."  
"Finn, have you eaten ANYTHING since you got here?" Mike asked.  
"I'm not hungry!" Finn said.  
The group ate lunch as Finn stayed on the bed, staring into Rachel's eyes.  
"Finn, please at least get off the bed," Quinn said.  
"I'm not getting off this bed!" Finn said, starting to cry again.  
"Finn," Kurt said in the no-nonsense voice their parents used with them, "at the very least, get off the bed and sit next to it."  
Finn groaned, got off the bed and kneeled beside it.  
One of Rachel's other doctors came in. "Hello, Finn," she said without a smile. "I see your friends are here."  
Finn nodded.  
"Good," the doctor said. "I wanted to wait until they got here to tell you."  
"Tell me what?" Finn asked.  
"Finn, we did lots of tests on Rachel yesterday. She has some very, very severe injuries to her spine and her skull, not to mention her limbs. They can not be cured without a very risky surgery," the doctor said.  
"Then you've got to do the surgery!" Finn said.  
"That's up to her parents," the doctor said. "They're talking it over."  
"Well, she's their daughter!" Finn said. "Of course they're going to want to do the surgery!"  
"Rachel is very weak now," the doctor said. "The surgery we'd have to do is very, very risky. It's basically our last resort. It's Rachel's only hope of survival, but it doesn't guarantee her survival. People can die in the process, people die from complications. We're going to wait until Rachel gets some of her strength back, probably in a week or so."  
"Well, just do it then," Finn said.  
"There's no easy way to tell you this," the doctor said. "Even if we perform the surgery, Rachel will need months of therapy to recover. But we don't even know if Rachel will survive long enough for us to do the surgery."  
"WHAT? Then just do it now!" Finn protested.  
"We're doing everything we can," the doctor said. "Rachel's odds are not good. She's too weak for us to do it right now."  
"Well, will the surgery help?" Finn asked.  
"Well, I'd say there's about a 25% chance she'll live in time for the surgery. If it is successful, she will more than likely begin to recover, but..."  
"But what?"  
"I'd say you have about a 10-15% chance that you'll have Rachel with you much longer. She probably won't live longer than a week. The life support is keeping her alive now."  
"A week?" Finn gasped. "A week?" He buried his face in Rachel's bed and began sobbing.  
"I'm so sorry," the doctor said. She looked around the room. "For all of you. You guys are young. You shouldn't have to go through this."  
"Can you please leave us here?" Puck said. "I think we need some time to process the information."  
At this point, Finn was sobbing into Rachel's stomach, Quinn, Mercedes, Santana, Brittany and Kurt were crying, Tina, Lauren, Mike and Artie were close to tears and Blaine, Puck and Sam were standing there in silence.  
"Why?" Mercedes finally said.  
"I can't believe they're just giving up on her!" Sam said. "This is Rachel they're talking about."  
"Even the strong don't always survive," Tina said.  
x  
Suddenly, a memory creeped into Finn's mind. It was their junior year, right after the whole sex drama. They were at the Christmas tree lot, to get a tree for the glee club to decorate. Rachel had suggested she and Finn go to buy a tree together because things were rough and she wanted them to do something to make up.  
Immediately, Finn had sent Rachel down one aisle and gone down another.  
Eventually, they met up again and Rachel said to Finn, "Last year for Christmas, I asked Santa to give me you."  
"It's not last year anymore, Rachel," Finn had said.  
"It's Christmas, Finn. It's time for you to forgive me."  
"No. I can't. This is wrong. I shouldn't have brought you here. You messed me up Rachel. Can't you see how screwed up I am about this? I've had two girlfriends and both of them have cheated on me. Maybe you can ask Santa for me again next year. I'm officially breaking up with you."  
Then he had just ran off, leaving Rachel alone in the parking lot, crying. Ever since then, their relationship had been on shaky ground.  
x  
"Hey, you okay?"  
Finn was snapped back into reality. His other ex-girlfriend, Quinn, was now standing at his side with her hand on his shoulder.  
"I was just remembering the night I broke up with Rachel and getting a huge guilt lash," Finn said. "I was such an asshole!"  
"Rachel loved you," Sam said. "She knew you loved her. Don't think for a minute that she let that define your relationship."  
"Now it's the end, and it's too late!" Finn said. "I knew college would destroy our relationship! I just didn't know it would happen like this! I can't lose her. I just can't. She was the one I loved. I'm sorry, Quinn, but she was the ONLY one I loved, you and I were just for fun. And I waited too long to tell her that even after that, I still loved her. Instead, I pretended I was content with being friends for a while! Ugh, I'm such an idiot! Now she's dying and here I am, crying like a baby."  
"It's okay to be sad," Kurt said. "We're all sad."  
"I know, but this is just so hard! I don't even know how to deal with it!" Finn said. "Honestly, you guys don't know what it's like to have someone taken from you!"  
The room fell silent. The entire group came together in a big group hug. That was the thing about this group. Without even asking, they were there for you.  
After the group pulled apart, Finn just stared at Rachel in her bed and felt her pulse.  
Would she EVER wake up?  
He leaned over the bed and kissed her. "I love you, Rachel," he said. He took a deep breath. "It's okay if you have to go. Just wait for me. Wherever you go, wait for me, okay?"  
He sat on the bed and held Rachel in his arms, with his tears falling on top of her head, as her breathing slowed down.


	6. Chapter 6: Hope

_Thanks again for all your reviews. I hit 1400 reads and I am SO excited. Thank you times more than a million everyone, especially those of you who have subscribed, reviewed or added "The Future" to your favorite stories._

_Here's Chapter 6. As you can tell from the title, Rachel is beginning to get better :)_

Chapter 6: Hope

Somehow, Rachel was still fighting.  
A week had gone by. Rachel had not woken up. Her scars were slowly-but-surely fading, but she had not woken up. Everyone was worried and Finn had not left the room.  
It was the day before the surgery was scheduled. If Rachel woke up today, the surgery would take place tomorrow.  
If she didn't wake up - she would be removed from life support, and, in the words of the doctor, "most likely pass, hopefully quickly, as soon as she is removed from the life support."  
Everyone was planning to leave the next day. Everyone except Finn.  
The rest of the group was planning a way to get Finn out of the room. They knew it wouldn't be easy. Finn had become as permanent a fixture as the bedside table. He wouldn't even step in the hallway.  
"Finn, you need to leave this room," Puck demanded around lunchtime. "You haven't even changed clothes in a week. And you've barely eaten."  
"I don't want anything to happen when I leave!" Finn protested.  
"You guys need some guy time," Mercedes said. "We'll take care of Rachel."  
"Fine," Finn snapped. He went to the bathroom, changed clothes and left with the boys.  
The boys went out to lunch at a restaurant in downtown New York. When their waiter came to the table, he asked everyone what they wanted. Finn was last, but didn't even have time to place his order. "He'd like a deluxe cheeseburger, a large fries and a chocolate milkshake," Puck said.  
"Thank you," the waiter said. "Your food will be with you shortly." He left.  
"Puck, this is my lunch!" Finn said. "I should have decided what to get!"  
"Yeah, and you look like you've lost about five pounds in the last week," Puck said. "The only thing I've seen you eat was three carrots and two spoonfuls of yogurt."  
"Whatever," Finn said, rolling his eyes.  
Lunch arrived and the boys ate and talked. They tried to avoid the subject of Rachel's condition, but it was definitely at the back of everyone's mind.  
"You know Finn, it's probably important for you to feel like you never gave up on Rachel," Mike said after about an hour. "We all care about her and feel the same way."  
"But Finn, some fights aren't worth fighting," Artie said. "Rachel's condition may be irreversible."  
"No! This is Rachel we're talking about!" Finn said. "She'll be fine."  
"She may not," Puck said. "I'm sorry, Finn, but I think Rachel's dying."  
"She isn't! She can't be!" Finn thundered. "Rachel lived through Jesse! She lived through all that torment from the football team and the cheerios! She's strong..."  
"Even the strong don't always survive," Sam said.  
"I know it's important to feel like you never gave up on her," Blaine said. "Sooner or later, you need to let go."  
"Stop acting like Rachel's going to die!" Finn shouted. "I'm going back to the hospital!" He jumped up, threw a $50 bill on the check and headed back to the hospital.  
Mercedes, Tina, Quinn, Santana, Brittany and Lauren were sitting by Rachel's bed. Finn threw himself back on the bed.  
"Rachel, I love you," he whispered. "Nothing bad will ever happen to you again. I promise..." He started crying because he knew he was probably right, but that meant he would lose Rachel.  
Then, Rachel moved her hand up Finn's arm and opened her eyes.  
"Finn?" she whispered.  
"I'm here, Rachel," Finn said. "I'm not going away... wait? Did you just say Finn?"  
"I love you," Rachel said.  
"Oh my God," Finn said. "You're talking! Thank you God!"  
The rest of the group was standing around the bed saying things like "I can't believe it!" "It's a miracle." "I thought she was gone."  
"Somebody, get the doctor," Finn said. "And get her parents. They need to know she's alive and talking!" He pulled Rachel in as close as he could and kissed her.  
Several of the kids left the room to get the doctor and Rachel's parents, while Finn sat on the bed with Rachel, hugging her and feeling overjoyed. "Oh, Rachel," he said. "I was so afraid I'd lost you!"  
The doctor came in. "Hello," she said to Rachel. "Since you just awoke from a coma, I need to ask you a few questions. Is that okay?"  
Rachel nodded.  
"What's your name?"  
"Rachel."  
"How old are you?"  
"18."  
"What year is it?"  
"2012."  
"What state are we in?"  
"New York."  
"Who's sitting on the bed with you?"  
"Finn."  
"Is Finn your boyfriend?"  
"Yes," Rachel said proudly. "He has been since my sophomore year of high school." She smiled at Finn, who smiled back.  
"Okay," the doctor said. She took out a flashlight. "Follow this." She moved the flashlight around.  
Rachel followed the flashlight. Then she began sobbing onto Finn's shoulder.  
"What's wrong, Rach?" Finn asked.  
"I'm just in a lot of pain!" Rachel sobbed.  
"Where does it hurt? I'll give you a massage," Finn said.  
"All over!" Rachel moaned.  
"Don't worry, your surgery will help you with that," Finn said.  
"Surgery?" Rachel gasped, looking up at the doctor.  
"I think, by some miracle, you seem to be getting better. You'd better rest up for your operation tomorrow," the doctor said. She explained the surgery and left the room.  
Rachel's parents rushed in and flocked her. "Honey, are you in a lot of pain?" Hiram asked right away.  
"Yeah," Rachel said. "But I'm alive."  
"I can't believe it," Leroy said. "We were sure we'd lost you."  
"I guess everyone thought they could get rid of me that easily, did they?" Rachel asked.  
"Not everyone thought you were going to die, Rachel," Quinn said, hugging her friend. "In fact, one person in particular NEVER gave up on you and was always there, every moment, believing in you when everyone else was losing hope."  
"Really?" Rachel said. "Who?"  
Kurt smiled. "Finn. He didn't leave the room until this afternoon, and we literally had to drag him out. He never left your side."  
"Really?" Rachel said. "Finn, come here." She gave him a hug.  
"I couldn't have left," Finn said. "No matter how hard they tried to get me out, and believe me, they tried."  
"Thank you, Finn," Rachel said. "You're the best."  
"How are you feeling, other than sore?" Brittany asked.  
"Hungry," Rachel said.  
"We can do something about that." Rachel looked up to see her dads standing in the door. "We got you guys a cake," Hiram said.  
"Thanks, Dad," Rachel said. "I really need to eat some."  
"So do I," Finn said. "I've barely eaten in the past week."  
"You haven't?" Rachel said.  
"I was too worried about you to eat," Finn said.  
"Don't ever get that worked up again!" Rachel said.  
"YOU don't ever scare any of us like that again, Rachel!" Sam said.  
"Okay, deal," Rachel said. The group dug into the cake and enjoyed some time together. Eventually, visiting hours were over.  
Rachel hugged her friends as they began to leave and wished her well on her surgery the next day.  
"Finn, could you stay here for a little?" Rachel asked right before Finn left the room.  
"Of course," Finn said, coming back to Rachel's bedside.  
"I'm just so scared of the surgery," Rachel said. "I'm afraid of being cut open. I guess... this is the end of any hope of a Broadway career."  
"Don't be silly, Rachel," Finn said.  
"Finn, I don't know what's up next for me," Rachel said with tears in her eyes. "I don't even know if I'll survive the surgery. It hurts just to move."  
"The surgery will help with that, Rach," Finn said. "Before you know it, it will be as if this never happened."  
"I don't know, Finn," Rachel said. "I'm so scared... and I still remember the day so clearly. I was sure I was going to get shot."  
"Don't talk about it, Rach," Finn said. "It will just bring back bad memories. You need to be well-rested for the surgery tomorrow."  
"I need to talk about it!" Rachel said.  
"What happened that day?" Finn asked.  
"Don't freak out, okay?" Rachel said.  
"I'll try," Finn said, shrugging.  
"Okay, so I was just waking up and on my way to class," Rachel said. "Then I heard some screaming and a lot of noise in the hall. I went outside and saw three people dressed in black running around with guns. I screamed, but then one of them grabbed me. He knocked me to the ground and hit me with a bar... it was just so scary. Then it went black. I'm guessing he did more because I hurt so much, but I don't know."  
"Try not to think about it," Finn said. "I know it's hard, but you have no idea how happy I am that you're alive."  
"At least I got it off my chest," Rachel said.  
"That probably feels better," Finn said.  
"Finn, there's a conversation we've been putting off for a while, and I think we need to have it," Rachel said. "You and I both know what I'm talking about."  
"Rach, what I did was wrong and you were perfectly justified in trying to get back at me," Finn said.  
"I was so wrong!" Rachel wailed. "I still haven't forgiven myself for doing that. I just didn't want to die with you mad at me."  
"Listen to me," Finn said. "I love you so much. I am not mad at you."  
"You have every right to be."  
"But I'm not. Rach, you're having major surgery tomorrow. You shouldn't be thinking about this."  
"I have to. Listen, I NEVER want to hurt you like that again and I NEVER will hurt you again. Finn, I just still feel so bad about everything that happened. I want us to stick together, I want this relationship to last. I've missed you so much while I've been at college."  
"There is no doubt in my mind that I love you. I haven't been able to enjoy college because I've missed you so much."  
"I love you, Finn."  
"I love you, Rachel."  
"Guess I'd better get to bed. I have that huge surgery tomorrow."  
"Good night." Finn hugged Rachel and started to leave the room.  
"Finn?" Rachel said. "I know you've done this before and I hate to burden you anymore, but will you sleep here tonight? I'm just - scared to be alone."  
"I understand," Finn said. "Just let me get on my pajamas."  
"Okay," Rachel said.  
When Finn got back and crawled beside Rachel in the bed, Rachel whispered, "I'm just so scared."  
"Don't worry," Finn said. "You're safe with me."  
In Finn's arms, Rachel began to fall asleep, feeling safe and secure and loved, despite the major surgery she'd be having the next day.  
"Please, God," Finn whispered when he knew Rachel was asleep, "let this surgery save her."


	7. Chapter 7: The Surgery

_Okay, I want to apologize right now. I know I was late in getting Chapter 7 up and I know it isn't my best writing. The truth is that this weekend I was really busy with stuff for school and as much as I rather would have been working on my story, I had deadlines for school to meet. But Chapter 7 is up now and the upcoming chapters will be up before long :)_

_I can not thank everyone who's read, rated, reviewed, favorited or subscribed my story. As I say a lot, I've loved writing it and I'm glad others enjoy it._

Chapter 7: The Surgery

The New Directions alumni had said their goodbyes the previous night and were now on the planes to their various colleges.  
They'd wished Rachel well and asked Finn to call and give them an update as soon as she recovered.  
Just moments ago, Finn had been dragged out of Rachel's room and into the waiting room. Her surgery was about to begin and this was the one time the doctors could not let him stay.  
Right now Finn was on his laptop, checking his e-mail and listening to music. Sitting across from him in the waiting room were Rachel's parents, looking very concerned.  
The surgery would take six hours and it had just began fifteen minutes ago. It would be a long, hard day for Finn. And the fact that everyone else had gone back to college didn't help.  
Finn looked across the room at Rachel's parents. He was afraid to say anything. The room was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.  
The doctor came in. "Okay, we've begun the surgery," she said. "Rachel is asleep and she can't feel it. I'm warning you though, she will be in pain, A LOT OF PAIN, when she wakes up."  
"Will she wake up?" Finn asked.  
"Well, we didn't think Rachel would live long enough for the surgery," the doctor said. "The fact that she woke up yesterday is a good sign. The risks are very high, so you should be prepared, but since she survived long enough for the surgery, we definitely aren't giving up on her."  
"If you even tried to give up on her, I'd make you regret it," Finn said.  
"I think Rachel's very lucky to have a boyfriend like you," the doctor said. "You're such a good guy."  
Finn smiled. He thought Rachel was sort of lucky, too.  
"So, can you run by us again what exactly you're doing to Rachel?" Hiram asked.  
"Well, again, I can not enforce enough how risky this surgery is," the doctor said. "Rachel's life, if she makes it, will be changed forever..."  
Finn couldn't take this anymore. He stepped outside the waiting room and called his mother. She picked up after the first ring and said, before she even said hello, "How's Rachel?"  
"She's in surgery," Finn said, hyperventilating. "Mom, I'm so worried. I don't like the thought of Rachel being cut open."  
"Finn, take a deep breath."  
Finn took a breath. "Mom, I just can't control how scared I am. I felt better yesterday because she woke up and because everyone was here."  
"I think the surgery will help, Finn."  
"I just don't know, Mom. She's already suffered so much. I think it might be more than she can take. I just... I wish the club was still here."  
"Finn, everyone has school to worry about, including you. You're probably going to have to go back in a few days."  
"I don't want to go back, Mom. I hate OSU. It's so lonely there."  
"You're just saying that because you're worried about Rachel. You'll be fine once you get back."  
"Mom, I really don't like it. I quit the football team the day Rachel was attacked because I was so upset and the coach wouldn't let me leave practice."  
"Finn..."  
"I'd been waiting to quit."  
"Okay, Finn. Listen, honey, I love you. I know Rachel will be okay."  
"Mom, the surgery..."  
"The surgery will help. It's risky, but this is Rachel we're talking about."  
"I've got to go now. I love you, Mom."  
"I love you too, Finn. Call me when Rachel's out of surgery."  
With tears in his eyes, Finn headed back to the waiting room. Still, only forty-five minutes had gone by. The wait for Rachel's surgery to be finished would not be a short one or an easy one.  
Finn logged back on to Facebook and posted a status update: "This has been the worst week of my life, but yesterday it got better when Rachel woke up. She is currently in surgery and still needs your support. Keep those good thoughts coming!"  
His Facebook was flooded with good wishes for Rachel and he was so touched. Rachel's was flooded as well.  
Finn couldn't help but wonder - would the surgery go okay?  
The doctor came into the waiting room. "Rachel is bleeding very heavily," he told Rachel's parents and Finn. "We expected her to bleed a lot because the surgery is so major, but we need to warn you."  
"May we see her?" Leroy asked.  
"No," the doctor said. "They are continuing with the surgery, but this is a very difficult situation she's in. I'm so sorry."  
Again, Finn's head began to spin as the doctor talked and he could barely hear a thing.  
After the doctor left, Finn said to Rachel's parents, "Why don't you guys go out? I'll wait here."  
"Are you sure, Finn?" Leroy asked. "You'd be willing to do that?"  
"Yeah, I don't mind," Finn said. "Not at all."  
The truth was, he was waiting to break down and he did not want Rachel's parents to see him sobbing hysterically. As soon as they left, Finn buried his face in his lap and burst in to tears. Even the surgery may not be enough to save Rachel. I was wrong to ever think there was hope, he thought.  
Finn felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. Through the tears that blurred his eyesight, he saw Sam and Quinn.  
"What are you guys doing here?" Finn managed to say.  
"Quinn refused to get on the plane," Sam said. "Right before the plane started boarding, she said to me, 'I can't leave, and I won't leave. Not until Rachel's surgery is finished.' So we cancelled the flight and came back here."  
"Thanks for being here," Finn said. "It means so much to me. It would mean a lot to Rachel, too."  
"Any news on how it's going so far?" Quinn asked, with a look of fear in her eyes.  
Finn sighed. "It's making her bleed pretty badly. The surgery's really risky. I don't know what's going to happen."  
"Oh my God," Quinn said, throwing her arms around Sam. "Why can't she just be okay?"  
"That's the question I've been asking myself from the beginning," Finn said.  
"You're so brave, Finn," Sam said. "Honestly, I don't know how you're getting through this. If that was Quinn, I'd be a big mess."  
"I'm a total wreck," Finn said. "I don't know how I'm getting through it. Thank you guys so much for not leaving, though."  
A few hours passed. Rachel's parents had not gotten back and there were no updates on the surgery.  
Finn, Sam and Quinn sat quietly in the waiting room.  
"Hey Finn, you okay?" Sam said, breaking the silence.  
Finn shook his head. "I'm just so worried about Rachel."  
"So are we," Quinn said. "That's why I flat out REFUSED to get on that plane."  
"I never thought that would happen," Finn said. "I remember the days when you and Rachel hated each other."  
"Those were the days when I was obsessed with popularity and looks," Quinn said. "I'm so glad I joined Glee. It changed my life."  
"It changed all of our lives, I think," Finn said. "I never would have found Rachel. I'm glad I got to know her while I could, let alone date her. I just hate that she might die... at least we FINALLY promised each other we won't let college destroy our relationship last night."  
"I don't think there was anything wrong," Sam said.  
"The whole thing with Puck and Santana," Finn said. "I don't think we ever recovered from it - but at least last night it finally felt like we were at peace."  
"Let me get this clear, Finn," Sam said. "You two may not have declared it, but we've all known you two will last past college for a long, long time. It's been so obvious how much you two love each other and that you're meant to spend your lives together."  
"You think so?" Finn asked.  
"I KNOW so," Sam said.  
"Then... Quinn, could you step out of the room for a minute?" Finn asked. "I just think I need to ask Sam something... that only a guy should hear."  
"Sure," Quinn said, stepping out of the room.  
"Okay," Finn said, as soon as Quinn was gone. "I've almost lost Rachel and I'm holding on to hope that she'll survive the surgery. If she survives, I'm not going to lose her again."  
"First of all, she's NOT going to die," Sam said. "And I highly doubt anything like this will happen again."  
"What I'm asking you though is..." Finn paused.  
"Oh gosh, spit it out, Finn," Sam said.  
"IwanttoproposetoRachel," Finn blurted out.  
"Whoa whoa whoa," Sam said. "Say that again for me, slower."  
"I. Want. To. Propose. To. Rachel," Finn said.  
"Here?" Sam asked. "Now?"  
"No, I haven't even picked out a ring yet," Finn said. "But sometime soon. It took losing her to help me realize how important she is in my life and that I absolutely can not live without her. I can not see myself spending my life with ANYONE else."  
"You're telling me what I already know," Sam said. "We all know you and Rachel were made for each other."  
"So you're telling me to do it?" Finn asked.  
"By all means, do it!" Sam said.  
Quinn came back into the room. "Is it okay for me to come back in now?" she asked.  
"Sure," Finn said, trying to control his excitement. He couldn't tell anyone else, but as soon as Rachel recovered, he planned to get down on one knee and ask her to be his wife.  
"What did I miss?" Quinn asked, cuddling against Sam.  
"Oh, Finn's going to propose to Rachel," Sam said.  
"Oh my God!" Quinn shrieked.  
"Thanks for telling, Sam," Finn said. "Why do you think we threw her out?"  
"He would have told me anyway," Quinn said.  
"Whatever," Finn said. "Neither of you can tell ANYONE."  
Caught up in the excitement, they'd almost forgotten why they were here. Their excitement was dashed when the doctor came in. "Where are Rachel's parents?" she asked.  
"Oh, they went out," Finn said.  
"Okay," the doctor said. "There's about an hour and a half of surgery left, and..."  
"And?" Finn said.  
"And... well, Rachel's been bleeding a lot. Hopefully it will stop once we finish the surgery and stitch her up. But she's lost a considerable amount of blood..."  
"Are you TRYING to get rid of her?" Finn shouted.  
"No, Flynn, not at all," the doctor began.  
"FINN!" Finn shouted.  
"I'm sorry, FINN," the doctor said. "We are not trying to get rid of Rachel at all. We are doing everything in our power to save her."  
"Well, can't you give her donated blood?" Quinn asked.  
"I'm not saying Rachel's gone," the doctor said. "I'm just saying you should be prepared for the possibility."  
"Rachel is going to be okay!" Finn said, before bursting into tears.  
"Can we see her?" Sam asked.  
"Her surgery will be finished in about an hour and a half. You'll get to see her then," the doctor said. "Don't you guys give up hope. If the surgery is successful, she'll need months of therapy, but ultimately, she will be fine."  
Finn could only cry. So much for his hopes of being engaged soon.  
About an hour later, the doctors came in. Rachel's parents were back and had heard the news. "Rachel's finished with her surgery," the doctor said. "She's in ICU though, so only three visitors at a time."  
"You guys can go first," Finn said to Rachel's parents.  
After Rachel's parents left, Sam said to Finn, "Hey, she survived. That's a good sign."  
"I just hope we get to see her," Finn said.


	8. Chapter 8: The Road to Recovery

_Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your reviews! After last night's episode, I was reluctant to continue this story, but then I figured I'm writing it, so I can decide what happens :) And I still am holding on to hope for Finchel's future_

_On a lighter note, guess what story hit 2000 reads yesterday? "The Future" by FinchelFan728! THANK YOU ALL! You have no idea how happy that makes me :)_

Chapter 8: The Road to Recovery

Rachel opened her eyes, feeling lucky to be alive. She still had a headache and her back hurt like crazy. She didn't try to sit up or roll over. It may just increase her pain. But she HAD survived the surgery! That was something, right?  
The doctor came in. "Can you hear me?" she asked.  
Rachel nodded, only increasing the headache she had.  
"Your surgery finished about an hour ago," the doctor said. "I'm just going to ask you some questions, like I did when you first woke up after the attack. Then your parents are going to come in."  
"Okay," Rachel whimpered.  
"How many fingers am I holding up?" the doctor asked, holding up two fingers.  
"Two," Rachel whimpered.  
"What color is this blanket?"  
"White."  
"When's your birthday?"  
"December 18."  
"What month is it?"  
"October."  
"What big event is coming up in a few weeks?"  
"The election."  
"Can you move your arms for me?"  
It hurt, but Rachel managed to raise her arm.  
"What about your legs, can you split them apart?"  
Rachel gave everything she had to split her legs.  
"Can you roll over?"  
Rachel shook her head, bursting into tears. "I can't! It hurts too much."  
"Well, we are going to put you in a brace tomorrow," the doctor said.  
"A brace?" Rachel gasped. "For how long?"  
"You had major, major spinal surgery, Rachel. You'll have to wear the brace 24/7 for four weeks, and you'll need to be in a wheelchair for two of them. Then for another six weeks, you can take it off for two hours every day for two weeks, then for four hours every day for two weeks, then for six hours every day for two weeks. After that, you'll be out of it."  
"Will I ever walk again, on my own?" Rachel asked.  
"You will, eventually," the doctor said. "You'll be in therapy, but it will be fine."  
"I just want my parents," Rachel said, starting to cry. Over the last few years, she'd even began to form a relationship with her mother, and she really wanted all three of her parents now.  
"I'll go get them," the doctor said, leaving the room.  
The door opened, and Rachel's parents came in.  
"How's our baby?" Leroy said, coming to his daughter's side.  
"I'm alive," Rachel said. "Where's Finn?"  
"He's in the waiting room with Sam and Quinn," Leroy said.  
"Sam and Quinn are here, too?" Rachel asked.  
"They sure are," Hiram said. "Quinn refused to get on the plane."  
"That was so sweet," Rachel said.  
"Rachel, can you move?" Shelby asked.  
"I can't roll over," Rachel said. "It hurts too much."  
"Do you want to be propped up or anything?" Hiram asked.  
"I just want to stay lying down now," Rachel said. "What's going to happen to me when I get out of the hospital?"  
"That's part of what we wanted to talk about, sweetie," Shelby said. "After all this trauma, we think you need to take the rest of the semester off."  
"But - do you think they'll take me back?" Rachel asked.  
"Rachel, remember, dozens of students were injured in the masacre," Leroy said. "I'm sure they'll understand."  
"I really don't think I can go back to school right now," Rachel said. "I can't handle all this AND school. Maybe I'll take some online classes or something."  
"Whatever you want, sweetie," Hiram said.  
"I just want to go home," Rachel said.  
"In a few days, you can go home," Shelby said. "They just want to keep a close eye on you."  
"I'm just really homesick," Rachel said. "I wish - I wish I were home right now."  
"We know, honey," Leroy said. "We know."  
Rachel spent the next half hour or so visiting with her parents, and then asked, "Can Finn and Sam and Quinn come in now?"  
"Of course they can," Shelby said. "You're only allowed three visitors at a time, but they've been waiting, and there isn't much visiting hours left."  
"I'd really love to see them," Rachel said.  
"Okay, we'll let them come in now," Hiram said. "Love you, honey."  
"I love you, Dad. I love you, Daddy. I love you, Mom," Rachel said as her parents left the room.  
A few minutes later, Finn bolted into the room, with Sam and Quinn close behind.  
"Hey," Rachel said weakly.  
"How are you feeling, Rachel?" Sam asked.  
"I'm tired and I'm sore and I'm ugly," Rachel said. "But hey, I'm alive!"  
"First of all, I can't tell you how grateful I am that you're alive," Finn said. "And second of all, I don't care how many bruises or scrapes you have. You are beautiful, Rachel."  
"Thanks," Rachel said with a smile.  
"If you do think you're ugly, though, which I deny, do you want me to do your hair?" Quinn asked.  
"Yeah, that would be great," Rachel said. "I haven't even brushed my hair since I got here."  
"We'll prop you up," Finn said.  
"Finn - " Rachel said.  
"Rach, you should at least try to sit up," Finn said. "Sam, take her ankles. I'll take your shoulders. Quinn, prop up some pillows."  
Rachel whimpered a little as Finn and Sam propped her up.  
"Rachel, your back!" Quinn gasped.  
"How bad is it?" Rachel asked.  
"Really swollen," Quinn said. "But you have stitches all the way up it."  
"I'll say this again, Finn," Sam said. "I seriously don't know how you're taking this. If Quinn's back looked like that, I would cry."  
"I'm just glad she's alive," Finn said. He propped Rachel against the pillows. "Was that bad?"  
"Actually, not like I thought it would be," Rachel said. "It feels good to sit up."  
"Where's your hair stuff, Rachel?" Quinn asked. "Anything in particular you want me to do?"  
"Can you maybe just brush it out and straighten it?" Rachel asked.  
"Of course," Quinn said. She got out Rachel's straightener. "Just let me know if I hurt you at all, okay?"  
"Okay," Rachel said with a smile.  
"So, when are you going back to school?" Sam asked.  
"Actually, I'm not going back until after winter break," Rachel said. "I just can't handle it. Not after this. I might take some online classes or something, but I have to do some therapy first at home. When are you guys going back?"  
"We're going back tomorrow," Quinn said. "Sam said we HAVE to go back tomorrow. We've missed enough school already."  
"Well, I do appreciate you guys being here," Rachel said. "When are you going back, Finn?"  
"I don't know," Finn said. "I've just been playing it by day."  
"You've really got to get back, Finn," Rachel said. "I care about you, and I want you to succeed. If you miss too much time, you may lose your football scholarship."  
"Uh, I kind of already did," Finn said.  
"What?" Rachel gasped. "What happened? Is there someone I need to whip into shape when I get better?"  
"No," Finn said. "I quit."  
"You quit football?" Rachel gasped.  
"I just wasn't enjoying it," Finn said. "Football isn't what it used to be. And what really made me mad was the day you were attacked, the coach told me that if I left to check up on you, I was off the team. No way was I going to be involved with a group that got in the way of being with someone so important in such a time of need."  
"Aw, I love you, Finny!" Rachel said.  
"Okay, Rachel, I'm done with your hair," Quinn said. "Short hair takes A LOT less time to flat-iron."  
"Don't even think about it, Quinn!" Sam joked.  
Quinn laughed.  
"Could you get my headband?" Rachel asked.  
"Of course," Quinn said. She put the headband in Rachel's hair and handed her a mirror. Rachel smiled.  
"Thanks," she said.  
"No problem," Quinn said.  
"Oh, my headband," Rachel said. "Finn, remember that HORRIBLE song I wrote about my headband?"  
"It wasn't THAT bad!" Finn said.  
"Yes, it was!" Rachel laughed. With that, they told Sam and Quinn about Rachel's slow start to her song-writing career.  
Out of nowhere, Rachel suddenly realized how lucky she was to have her boyfriend at her side and began sniffing him. Trying to memorize every aspect of him. She couldn't fathom how grateful she was to him for coming out here and being here, every step of the way.  
"Finn, you smell really nice," Rachel said.  
"Uh, thanks," Finn said.  
Rachel began running her fingers through Finn's hair. "Your hair is so thick and I love it," she said.  
Finn smiled.  
Rachel looked into Finn's eyes. "And your eyes are so nice, too."  
"Okay, Rach, what's this all about?" Finn asked.  
"I'm just so glad I get to be with you," Rachel said. "I was so afraid I'd never see you again."  
"So was I," Finn said. "You have no idea."  
"Hey Finn, when are you going to - " Sam asked. Then Quinn elbowed him.  
"Finn!" Rachel said. "Is something going on that I don't know about?"  
"Of course not," Finn said. "No secrets. Not at a time like this."  
"Then what are you guys talking about?" Rachel asked.  
"I was wondering when he was planning on going back to school," Sam said.  
"Yeah," Quinn said. "I didn't want it to worry you, so I stopped him."  
"Finn, you really should go back to school," Rachel said. "Why don't you fly back to Ohio with Sam and Quinn tomorrow?"  
"I don't want to leave you," Finn said.  
"I insist, Finn," Rachel said. "Call the airport and see if you can get a plane ticket on their flight. That way, you won't have to fly back alone."  
Within half an hour, Finn had booked a spot on the plane back to Ohio with Sam and Quinn the next day. Rachel was a bit worried about Finn leaving, but she knew it was the right thing for him.  
Rachel was sent to a regular room later that day and spent the rest of the day having dinner and watching a movie with Finn, Sam and Quinn. They left that evening, but came back the next morning to say goodbye before their plane left.  
After hugging and saying goodbye to Quinn and Sam, Rachel wanted a little time alone with Finn before he left.  
"I'm really worried about you," Finn said. "Are you absolutely sure you're okay with this?"  
"Finn, I'll be fine," Rachel said. "You're in college. You have classes to catch up on, friends to make. I don't want to rob you of a college experience."  
"What about you? You're not going to be getting a college experience, either," Finn said.  
"The next few months will be devoted to therapy for me," Rachel said. "I really can't go to college. I can't devote what I need to devote to my classes. I'll be spending too much time in therapy. You're healthy. You need to get back to school."  
"You really feel that way?" Finn asked.  
"I really do," Rachel said. "I've messed up your life enough already. I CAN'T mess it up any more. If you want to break up with me, just go ahead."  
"Why would I do that?" Finn asked.  
"Finn, be honest," Rachel said, starting to cry. "Do you really want a girlfriend who can barely walk, who's in a back brace, who has all these hideous scars and bruises all over her body? I don't know when I'll be back to normal, if ever."  
"Yes, I do," Finn said. "Rachel, no matter what, I would want you as my girlfriend. You've gotten me through some of the worst times of my life. There are so many awesome things about you. I don't care if I have to push you around in a wheelchair forever. I don't care if your body is covered in scars. I love you because of who you are on the inside: a truly kind, genuine, smart girl."  
"You're the best," Rachel said. "If this was you, I'd say and do the same thing. But do me one favor, okay? Even after you go back to school, will you come visit me at home during my path to recovery?"  
"Rachel, listen," Finn said. "I'm going to come home to visit you every weekend between now and winter break. You're strong. You WILL get through this."  
"I love you, Finn," Rachel said, kissing his cheek.  
"I love you, too," Finn said.  
As soon as Finn disappeared from view, Rachel began crying. When Finn was around, despite how much pain she was in, she felt so safe. She really was alone now.


	9. Chapter 9: The Ring

_I know I say this every time I update, but I want to thank everyone who read, reviewed, subscribed and favorited my story so far. It means so much to me. I've been having a lot of fun with this story and after I finish it, I definitely want to write another!_

_So, here's Chapter 9!_

_DISCLAIMER: If I owned Glee, the scene at the end of this week's episode wouldn't have happened and there would be no Sue. So, as you can tell, I don't._

Chapter 9: The Ring

For everyone else, the first semester of college had just ended.  
Unfortunately for Rachel, she had only completed about a month of school. Then she spent two weeks in the hospital and headed back home, where she spent most of her time either in therapy or doing the exercises she learned in therapy. She was beginning to walk without her walker, but it hurt. She was afraid to walk without the help of her mom or her dads.  
She was just beginning to master basic tasks, like getting dressed and taking showers. These were times when she was glad her mom had come back into her life - she wouldn't have been comfortable with her dads doing these things.  
Finn stayed true to his word and came home every weekend to check on Rachel. Often, at least one other member of the Glee club would come to visit, too. The only times Rachel felt marginally better was when she was with Finn or one of her other friends.  
It felt terrible knowing that all her friends were off at school, having experiences she wouldn't get to have. She wasn't getting to make new friends, sit in college classes, go to campus events, live in a dorm or eat in a dining hall.  
Rachel wasn't even sure if she wanted to go back to Princeton. Just being on campus terrified her and brought back bad memories of the day she was attacked. The day she nearly lost her life. She was too scared to get out of the car when her parents had gone back to clear out her dorm room.  
Rachel wanted to go somewhere, though. She had already started applying to transfer schools in Ohio during winter break and considering starting somewhere new after winter break started. What the attack had taught her was that she really didn't want to be too far away.  
Rachel's scars were beginning to fade, though some of them may never fade. She spent three afternoons a week in intensive physical therapy and did exercises at home. Often, she was too afraid to leave the house, even for a simple trip to the library or the grocery store.  
The holiday season was underway. For the first time EVER, all three of Rachel's parents had spent Thanksgiving together and had the entire extended family over to her mom's house. Thanksgiving had been nice, but she was disappointed about not being able to join Quinn, Mercedes, Tina, Brittany, Lauren and Santana for the tradition they'd started of going Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving.  
x  
Little did Rachel know, the day after Thanksgiving, for the first time in his life, Finn had asked Kurt to go with him to pick out a very special gift for Rachel.  
Luckily for Finn, Kurt knew exactly where to go. They'd just arrived at the mall when Kurt pulled Finn into the store and before Finn knew it, they were looking all over the place.  
"All of these are so nice," Finn said. "But I don't know if they're right for Rachel."  
"You are such a boy!" Kurt said. "She'll love ANY of them."  
"Do you need help?" Finn turned around to see a store representative standing there.  
"He's here to pick one out for his girlfriend," Kurt said.  
"This is big!" the employee said. "One of the biggest purchases you'll ever make!"  
"I know," Finn said. "That's why I need the right one."  
"How about that one?" Kurt said. "Or that one? Or that one?"  
"What about this one?" the employee said, pointing to one of the few in the store Kurt hadn't pointed out.  
"Oh, I like this one!" Finn said.  
"So do I," Kurt said. "I can just see Rachel wearing it."  
"I think this is the one," Finn said. "Yes. This is definitely the one."  
"Good choice!" the employee said.  
With that, Finn paid for it, had it packaged and left the store. "I think she'll like it," he told Kurt.  
"I think she'll love it," Kurt said. "When are you going to give it to her?"  
"When I have the guts," Finn said. "And when the time feels right."  
x  
Rachel was unaware of Finn's purchase, just doing her best to enjoy the holiday season, even though she couldn't fully participate. She didn't go along with her mom and Beth or with her dads to pick out a tree and could only do a little bit of the decorating. She still listened to music and watched the movies with her family and friends, but she had to buy all her gifts online.  
To top it off, her birthday was fast approaching. Her parents moved her therapy for that day to the day before, but it still wouldn't be the same. She had hoped to go out to dinner at a fancy restaurant or go to a show with Finn and maybe some of her other friends, but more than likely she'd be spending it at home on the couch or in bed.  
Rachel's 19th birthday arrived. Her mother wished her a happy birthday as soon as she woke up and helped her into a nice blue dress with silver tights. She also straightened Rachel's hair and flipped it out on the ends.  
"What's the point of looking nice, Mom?" Rachel said. "I'm stuck inside, as usual. This is my birthday. I really wanted to go to a show with Finn, but I'm homebound as always."  
"Rachel, it's your birthday!" Shelby said. "Even if you're not going anywhere, you should look nice."  
"Thanks, Mom," Rachel said.  
Her dads came over after breakfast and gave Rachel her presents. Rachel was visiting with her dads in the living room, as all three of her parents kept looking out the window. Eventually Shelby said, "Rachel, someone's dropping something off in the back. I'll be right back, okay?"  
"Okay," Rachel said. As she talked with her dads, she thought she heard some people coming in.  
"Who do you think that is?" Rachel asked. After her attack, whenever she heard background noise, she became paranoid.  
"I'm sure it's just someone delivering something for your mom," Hiram said. "It's Christmas season, after all. Don't worry, honey."  
About ten minutes later, Shelby came back into the living room. "Rachel, I was just in the basement and forgot something down there. You should probably get used to walking around, so could you go down and get it for me?"  
"I don't want to," Rachel said. "I'm still scared."  
"Rachel, I was just down there," Shelby said. "I know there's nothing dangerous down there."  
"Okay," Rachel said. "What do you need me to get?"  
"You'll know when you get down there," Shelby said with a smile.  
It was probably just a birthday present from her parents. Rachel limped down the stairs. The basement was decorated with balloons, streamers and a banner that said, "Happy Birthday!" Food was laid out on the table. There was a stack of presents near the table.  
"Mom! Dad! Daddy! You shouldn't have!" Rachel called upstairs, falling backwards and gripping the banister just in time.  
"We didn't," Leroy called.  
"Then who did?" Rachel called.  
"SURPRISE!"  
Rachel's friends from Glee popped up from behind the furniture and began running over.  
"Oh my God!" Rachel gasped. She was glad she was clutching the banister, because she probably would have fallen over if she hadn't.  
Finn ran over, gave Rachel a hug and said, "Happy Birthday, my dear."  
"You guys did this for me?" Rachel said.  
"Well, it was Finn's idea," Kurt said. "But yeah, we've been planning this for weeks."  
"We're just so glad we get to see you turn 19," Mercedes said. "So we all decided to celebrate with you. And you remember Matt, right?"  
Rachel had barely noticed the guy with his arm around Mercedes.  
"Of course I do," Rachel said. "Good to see you again, Matt."  
"I'm glad I ended up being able to see you again," Matt said.  
"Seriously guys, I have the best friends ever," Rachel said. "Thank you so much for doing this. I love all of you."  
"Well, we all love you more!" Quinn said, giving Rachel a hug.  
"Hungry?" Blaine asked. "We got all your favorite foods."  
"Yeah," Rachel said.  
"I'll get some food for you," Finn said. "You'd better sit down. You still are recovering from surgery!"  
"No, Finn, help her to the couch and then sit with her," Puck said. "We'll get some food for both of you."  
"Seriously, you guys didn't have to do this!" Rachel said.  
"Yes, we did," Brittany said. "And even if we didn't have to, we wanted to."  
"Oh, Rachel, you look really pretty today," Santana said.  
"Thanks," Rachel said, giving her a hug.  
After eating and listening to music, Rachel began opening the various presents her friends had gotten her. Being alive and having all of them with her today was enough of a present, but she was touched by each one.  
"Thank you, all of you," Rachel said after opening the last present.  
"Um, Rach, I have one more thing," Finn said.  
Everyone paused and looked over.  
"Okay," Rachel said. "What is it?"  
"You're going to do it, aren't you?" Puck blurted out.  
"Uh... um..." Finn said.  
"If you left it at home, that's fine," Rachel said.  
"I didn't leave it at home," Finn said. "Okay, Rach, I need to tell you something." He was shaking.  
"Are you okay?" Rachel asked.  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Finn said, taking Rachel's hands. "Rachel, almost losing you was SO hard. The week you were unconscious in the hospital was the worst week of my life. I was living in fear that I was going to lose you. It was awful. It took almost losing you to help me realize I can NEVER lose you again and my life is incomplete without you."  
"Well, I don't plan on doing anything that would make me lose you ever again," Rachel said.  
"The first time we danced together in Glee club, I knew you were the girl for me," Finn said, putting his arm around Rachel. "I dreamed of finding the right girl to marry forever and when I met you, I knew that girl was you. I love you so much. I want to be the guy for you. I wonder what I did to deserve you, but every time I'm with you, you make me feel like you still love me, despite all my faults."  
"I'm the one who doesn't deserve you," Rachel said. "I love you so much."  
"I love you," Finn said. "I want to see you walking down the aisle on my wedding day. I want to raise children together. I want you to wake up every morning for the rest of your life and know how loved you are. I want to spend forever with you. I want you to spend forever with me." He got down on one knee and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small velvet box and opened it, revealing a white gold ring with a sapphire. "Rachel Barbara Berry, will you marry me?"  
"Oh my God!" Rachel gasped. "Yes! Yes!"  
Finn slipped the ring on to Rachel's finger, lifted her into his arms and spun her around. "We're engaged!" he proclaimed to their friends.  
"Be careful, Finn! Rachel had major spine surgery not too long ago!" Mike said.  
"I don't care about my back!" Rachel shouted. "I'm going to marry Finn! This was the best birthday ever! I love you, Finny!"  
"I love you more!" Finn said.  
They kissed and hugged.  
"Um, don't forget about the rest of us!" Kurt said. "And Rachel, you know I'm going to be the wedding planner."  
"Of course you are," Rachel said. "And all you girls are going to be my bridesmaids."  
"Finn, how does it feel now that you've done it?" Sam asked.  
"Now I'm just wondering why I kept chickening out," Finn said. "It feels great."  
"Finn, WE'RE ENGAGED!" Rachel shouted loud enough for the neighbors to hear.  
"What is going on down here?"  
Rachel turned to see her parents standing on the stairs.  
"Oh, your nineteen-year-old daughter got an engagement ring from Finn for her birthday," Quinn said.  
"I said yes," Rachel said. "Hopefully you won't mind."  
"He asked us a while back," Leroy said.  
"Our little girl's growing up," Hiram said. "You're in college, you're turning nineteen and you're engaged."  
"And they're having a Glee wedding!" Kurt said.  
"Well, Rachel, what we came down to tell you was you need to put your brace back on," Leroy said.  
"Even that stupid brace can't ruin my mood," Rachel said.  
"Well, put it on, and then you can come back down here with your friends and your fiance," Shelby said.  
"I love the sound of that," Rachel said. "My fiance, Finn Hudson."  
Rachel went upstairs to put on her brace and then rejoined everyone downstairs. Now she knew why she'd made it through the attack and the surgery. Because there was a future ahead for her. As of right now, everything she'd gone through was worth it.  
It didn't matter now that she was wearing a brace and still had several weeks of therapy left. This had to have been her best birthday so far. She had the best friends in the world - and was engaged to the most amazing person she had ever met.


	10. Chapter 10: Ups and Downs

___I can not tell you all how much I appreciate your feedback. Here is Chapter 10. Enjoy!_

__Chapter 10: Ups and Downs

Everyone else had gone home and Rachel and Finn were left in the basement, cuddling and admiring Rachel's new engagement ring.  
"I was so scared," Finn said.  
"Why?" Rachel said with a laugh.  
"I didn't think you'd say yes," Finn said.  
"Are you kidding?" Rachel said. "I've wanted to marry you since the first day we met!"  
"I know, but you're recovering from a major attack," Finn said. "You almost died!"  
"Let's not talk about that tonight," Rachel said, kissing Finn's cheek. "We're engaged and I'm the happiest person in the world."  
"Are you feeling okay?" Finn asked. "I love you, but I just can never stop worrying about you."  
"Finn, I've never felt better in my entire life," Rachel said. The truth was, she'd never felt happier in her life, but her back was bothering her. It may not have been a good idea to let him pick her up and spin her around like that.  
"Neither have I," Finn said.  
Rachel's dads came downstairs. "Hope we're not intruding on our daughter and our future son-in-law, but we're going home and wanted to say good night," Hiram said.  
"Good night, Dad. Good night, Daddy," Rachel said. "Thanks for coming over today."  
"Happy Birthday, little girl," Leroy said. "Hope you had a good day."  
"It was wonderful," Rachel said.  
"Good night, Finn," Leroy said. "An early welcome to our family."  
"Thank you," Finn said right before Rachel's dads left.  
"So, when do you want to have the wedding?" Finn asked as soon as they were gone.  
"When I'm out of this brace, can walk again and my scars have faded," Rachel said.  
"Sounds fair enough," Finn said. "You still are beautiful, but I can see why you don't want to look at the pictures and see your bruises and scrapes and whatnot."  
"Awww," Rachel said, resting her head on Finn's lap.  
"Where do you want to get married?" Finn asked.  
"Here, of course," Rachel said. "I want the Glee club to perform and I want all the girls to be bridesmaids, with Quinn as the maid of honor."  
"Well, I want them to perform too," Finn said. "And I want the guys as ushers, with Sam as the best man. So I guess we have that settled."  
"We'll need to find the perfect venue," Rachel said. "I want the bridesmaids to wear aqua-blue dresses. I'll have Kurt and the girls help me pick a dress. And for food - "  
"Rach, if you keep throwing out what we need to get done, we'll have to get married earlier rather than later," Finn said.  
"How about the last weekend in July?" Rachel said.  
"Any date works for me!" Finn said.  
"Finn, I'm really tired," Rachel said. "I typically wouldn't ask you to do this, but could you carry me upstairs?"  
"Of course," Finn said. "I'd carry you across the USA if I had to. You're recovering from back surgery."  
"Thanks," Rachel said, not wanting to tell Finn about the pain she was in. They were on the top of the world tonight and there was no way she was going to ruin that for him.  
Finn carried Rachel up the stairs and they met up with her mother. "Rachel, are you okay?" she asked.  
"I'm fine, Mom." Rachel wasn't going to tell her mother either. The doctors had told her that there would be aches and pains during the days and weeks and months that followed. Hopefully this was normal.  
When Finn and Rachel reached Rachel's room, Rachel agreed to let Finn stay in the room while she changed into her pajamas on the bed, then asked him to lie down with her for a little. "Can I have another look at your ring?" Finn asked.  
"Of course you can, my lovely fiance," Rachel said. "You picked out a good one!"  
"I should probably go home," Finn said. "It IS getting late."  
"Good night, Finny, I love you!" Rachel said.  
"I love you, Rach!" Finn said before leaving.  
As soon as Finn left, Rachel texted Quinn: _I need to tell you something._  
Quinn texted back almost right away: _Well, what's up Mrs. Hudson?  
I'm not Mrs. Hudson yet. You can NOT tell ANYONE what I'm about to tell you.  
Okay, what's up?  
My back's really bothering me.  
How much?  
This is the worst it's felt since the surgery. I shouldn't have let Finn pick me up like that.  
Rachel, you NEED to tell your mom or your dads.  
I just can't bring myself too. At least not until after Christmas.  
Well, if it gets any worse, you need to get help.  
Okay._  
Rachel rolled over and went to sleep, hoping her back would feel better in the morning.  
The days passed, however, and Rachel's back continued to bother her. She couldn't bring herself to say anything to Finn, who was still over the moon about the engagement. She couldn't say anything to her parents either. She'd messed up everyone's holidays already.  
Rachel tried to walk downstairs on Christmas and made it, with the help of the banister. She spent most of the time with the family resting on the couch. She spent most of the rest of the week between Christmas and New Year's resting also, except during therapy and while practicing her exercises. She was afraid to tell anyone that her back was bothering her. She decided to wait until after New Year's, if it was still bothering her by then.  
New Year's Eve came and Rachel's back wasn't feeling better. New Directions was having a New Year's Eve party at Kurt and Finn's house. The evening started out fine. The girls were ooing and ahing over Rachel's engagement ring and it was clear that Finn was still on top of the world. Rachel was sitting on the couch most of the night, but with her arm around Finn's waist (she didn't tell him, but it was to support her), she stood up to join the group in counting down to the ball drop.  
"10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!" everyone shouted.  
"Happy New Year, Finny!" Rachel said, hugging Finn.  
"Happy New Year to you too, Rach!" Finn said, hugging her again.  
Then, Rachel's pain couldn't hold in any more. She collapsed in Finn's arms.  
"Oh my God!" Finn gasped. "Oh no... Oh no..."  
"What's - oh no!" Sam said.  
"I should have said something when she first told me her back was bothering her again!" Quinn said, her eyes starting to fill with tears.  
"You knew this was coming?" Finn shouted.  
"She texted me on her birthday and said her back was bothering her," Quinn said. "I prayed it wasn't serious, I thought it was fine because she didn't text me again."  
"Any time someone gets spinal surgery, anything related to their back is serious!" Finn said.  
"I'm so sorry, Finn," Quinn said, starting to cry.  
"Someone just call an ambulance!" Finn said. He turned to Rachel. "Rach, can you hear me?"  
"I can hear you," Rachel said. "I just - I couldn't bring myself to tell you, not with all the excitement of the holidays and our engagement."  
"Rachel, you NEED to tell me," Finn said.  
"I can't mess up your life anymore," Rachel said.  
The EMTs came into the basement. "Okay, Miss Berry, we're going to put you on the stretcher," an EMT said.  
"I'm coming in the ambulance," Finn said. "I'm her fiance."  
"Okay, you can come," the EMT said. "Happy New Year to the rest of you."  
Rachel was crying on the ambulance.  
"Rach, what's wrong?" Finn asked, rubbing Rachel's back. "Are you in a lot of pain?"  
"That's not why I'm crying," Rachel said.  
"We agreed we weren't going to keep secrets from each other," Finn said.  
"Finn, I ruined your first semester of college and now I've ruined everyone's New Year's Eve," Rachel said, sobbing. "You can call off the engagement if you want. With my luck, I'll probably ruin the rest of your life."  
"Rach, as long as you are part of my life, it is NOT ruined AT ALL," Finn said. "The only thing that could ruin my life is losing you."  
"What if I end up being in a wheelchair for the rest of my life and never walk again?" Rachel asked.  
"As long as I still have you, that won't matter," Finn said, hugging Rachel.  
"I love you," Rachel said. "I don't know what I'd do without you."  
"I don't know what I'd do without you," Finn said.  
The ambulance pulled into the hospital and Rachel was wheeled out for x-rays. Finn sat in the room as they were taken.  
Rachel would not be needing another surgery. She had pulled a muscle in her back, but it could be potentially dangerous to her spine. This was "nothing a medication couldn't fix," the doctor said, but had Rachel not come in sooner, she may have needed another surgery.  
Finn went to the waiting room, where their friends and Rachel's parents were waiting. "She won't be needing another surgery," he told them. "All she needs is a medication. And Quinn, next time Rachel tells you her back's bothering her, you're going to forward me that text."  
"Deal," Quinn said. "Can I see her?"  
"You all can," Rachel said, limping out. "I'll be fine."  
"Rachel, seriously, we're all so worried," Kurt said.  
"I'm going to be okay," Rachel said. "And this summer, when you've all finished your first year of college, I'll be walking the aisle to become Mrs. Finn Hudson."  
"What about you? What's going to happen with you and your college?" Mercedes asked.  
"I'm just taking community college classes this spring and hopefully going to OSU with Finn in the fall," Rachel said. "Because of this, I'll need a little more therapy. But thank goodness it was nothing worse."  
"Finn, maybe you shouldn't pick her up and spin her around again anytime soon," Artie said. "We don't want her to pull any more muscles."  
"I doubt that had anything to do with it," Rachel said. "But we should probably be safe."  
"We'll stick with hugs for now," Finn said, giving Rachel a hug.  
"Yes, we will," Rachel said. "And guys, I want to apologize. I love all of you. I'm sorry I messed up everyone's New Year's Eve and everyone's first semester of college."  
"Rachel, you did mess up anything for anyone," Kurt said. "We all love you."  
"Thanks," Rachel said.  
"And we're all getting really excited for your wedding," Tina said.  
"Please," Rachel said. "I doubt anyone's more excited than I am."  
"Except me," Finn said.  
"Well, it's your wedding, more importantly," Rachel said.  
"It's the last weekend in July," Finn said. "And you're all going to perform. And all you guys will be my ushers, except Sam, who's going to be the best man."  
"Well, if you guys are in here talking about a wedding instead of Rachel's back, it must not be too bad." The group turned around to see the doctor. "Rachel, take your pills every day and get lots of rest. Call us if there's any more problems."  
"Okay," Rachel said.  
"You guys can go now," the doctor said. "And a very happy new year to all of you."  
"Okay, girls, before you go back to school, we're going to have to pick out dresses," Rachel said.  
"Rachel, Rachel, Rachel, what about your back?" Tina said.  
"I don't care about my back," Rachel said. "Finn and I are getting married!" She hugged Finn.  
Miraculously, Rachel's painkillers and therapy were helping her back get better. Days later, Rachel and the girls were visiting bridal stores, picking out potential dresses, only to add a lot of dresses to the "we'll consider this" list. She also had the invitations designed and they were mailed within a week. She was so happy when the invitations arrived at her mom and dads' houses and couldn't stop looking at them.

_Rachel Barbara Berry  
and  
Finn Christopher Hudson  
cordially invite you to  
The Celebration of Our Marriage  
July 28, 2013  
6:00 p.m.  
The Galleria - Lima, OH  
Please use the attached card to RSVP_

Looking at the invitation made Rachel feel so happy. She really was going to marry Finn! Hopefully there would be no more injuries to get in the way.


	11. Chapter 11: Faithfully

_Thanks so much for reading, everyone! I've gotten such positive feedback and enjoyed writing this so much that I've decided that I'm going to make this a thirteen-chapter story instead of my traditional twelve-chapter format! Hopefully that'll be okay with you guys_

_Now, I present to you, Chapter 11, where Finn and Rachel say "I do." A little hint: in chapter 12, there just might be another Glee wedding, and there also just might a Finchel baby..._

Chapter 11: Faithfully

"I can't believe it's actually happening," Rachel said. She was sitting in the girls dressing room, in her white dress with the veil running down her back. She had never felt so beautiful in her entire life. Her dress was beautiful and the hair stylist had done a great job. Her bridesmaids surrounded her in aqua-blue dresses that matched the flowers in her bouquet. "I'm actually getting married!"  
"You look so beautiful," Quinn said.  
"Thank you," Rachel said to her Maid of Honor. "So do you. All of you do."  
"You eventually picked a dress we could all agree on!" Santana said.  
"Don't even remind me of that!" Rachel laughed. That spring, the girls had spent hours on websites looking for bridesmaids dresses. One girl found something she loved and at least one other hated it. Eventually, Rachel had found this dress - aqua blue, sleeveless, thin belt, sequins on the top half - and everyone loved it!  
Rachel ended up having her own wedding dress custom made. It had cost a fortune, but her parents were too thankful she was alive, walking and for the most part, scar free, to care about expenses. She wasn't fully recovered, but had made lots of progress and was now walking on her own, all the time.  
She hoped she would make it across the aisle today - she was in three inch heels. She'd practiced walking in heels with her mother and her girlfriends.  
"I'm a little nervous," Rachel admitted.  
"Don't be," Mercedes said. "You've been waiting for this day since the day Finn joined Glee."  
"So true," Rachel said. "Sorry, Quinn. I know I stole him."  
"It's okay," Quinn said, laughing. "I'm happier with Sam."  
x  
Three doors down, the boys sat in their dressing room, dressed in tuxes with vests and ties to match the girls' dresses.  
"This is it," Finn told the boys. "I'm really getting married to Rachel."  
"Well, Finn, you look dashing," Kurt said. "For once in your life, I convinced you to comb the knots out of your hair and use moisturizer."  
"Yeah, because I'm getting married," Finn said.  
"Ready to spend the rest of your life with the hot little Jewish American princess?" Puck asked.  
"I've never been more ready for anything," Finn said. "I'm a little nervous, but it's worth it."  
"Want me to add that into my Best Man speech?" Sam asked. "That you're nervous and that Kurt convinced you to use moisturizer?"  
"If you do so, you will be removed fromt the Best Man position on the spot," Finn laughed.  
"Relax, dude, I'm joking," Sam said. All the boys started laughing when there was a knock at the door.  
"Gentlemen, are you ready?" It was one of the staff members.  
"I think so," Finn said.  
"Good luck, bro," Mike said.  
"Thanks, guys," Finn said, heading to the front of the aisle.  
The ushers went to meet up with the bridesmaid they would escort down the aisle - and the wedding march began.  
x  
The wedding march began and those in attendance turned as the flower girls, Beth and Ally, and ring bearer, Sam's younger brother Steve, walked down the aisle.  
Next Artie and Brittany entered the aisle, followed by Mike and Tina, then Blaine and Santana, then Puck and Lauren, then Kurt and Mercedes. Sam and Quinn, the Best Man and Maid of Honor, entered penultimately - right before Rachel, being led down the aisle by her dads.  
When Finn looked down the aisle and saw Rachel coming down, the first thing he noticed was how beautiful she looked. The second thing that came to mind was how lucky he was to have her with him today after the close call last fall. Rachel had banned talk about the attack today, so he wasn't going to say anything. One thing he knew: Rachel was now forever his. The beautiful, kind, strong girl walking down the aisle today would now be part of his life and wasn't going away.  
Finally, Rachel reached the front of the aisle. Rachel's fathers shook Finn's hand and passed Rachel over. Finn took Rachel's hand and led her up to the altar.  
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in the unity of marriage," the Reverend began...  
The readings were perfect (Rachel had insisted on a Christian wedding because Finn had been through so much for her) and the Glee club performed an amazing song. Finally, it was time to exchange the wedding rings.  
"Finn Christopher Hudson, do you take Rachel Barbara Berry to be your lawful beloved wife, to love and to honor, to hold and to keep, forsaking all others, till death do you part?"  
"I do."  
"Rachel Barbara Berry, do you take Finn Christopher Hudson to be your lawful beloved husband, to love and to honor, to hold and to keep, forsaking all others, till death do you part?"  
"I do."  
Finn and Rachel slipped rings on each other's fingers.  
"I present to you for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Finn Hudson."  
The first kiss. The processing down the aisle.  
It was time for the first dance. Finn and Rachel weren't going to dance to a song though: as they danced the first dance, they'd sing the song they sang together the first time he professed his love to her: "Faithfully."  
Finn and Rachel took the center of the dance floor and the music began. And then Finn sang his part of the song: "Highway run into the midnight sun  
Wheels go round and round, you're on my mind"  
It was Rachel's turn: "Restless hearts sleep alone tonight  
Sending all my love along the wire"  
They sang together: "And they say that the road ain't no place to start a family  
Right down the line it's been you and me  
And loving a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be"  
Rachel sang: "Oh boy, you stand by me"  
And they sang together: "I'm forever yours...faithfully."  
"Circus life under the big top world," Rachel sang.  
"We all need the clowns to make us smile," they sang.  
"Through space and time," Rachel sang, as Finn echoed "Through space and time,"  
They sang together again, "Always another show  
Wondering where I am, lost without you  
And being a part ain't easy on this love affair  
Two strangers learn to fall in love again  
I get the joy of rediscovering you"  
"Oh girl, you stand by me!" Finn sang to Rachel.  
"I'm forever yours...faithfully," they sang together.  
As they had at Regionals sophomore year, their Best Man, Maid of Honor, ushers and bridesmaids sang the background vocals as Finn and Rachel sang the end of the song.  
When the music ended, Finn and Rachel shared a long kiss on the dance floor as their guests applauded.  
"Thank you," Finn said. "Now, I'd like to introduce our Best Man, Sam Evans."  
Sam shook hands with and hugged Finn and Rachel before beginning the speech.  
"Good evening. My name is Sam Evans. I'd like to extend my most sincere congratulations to Finn and Rachel Hudson on their marriage and wish them much happiness together. They are both wonderful people with wonderful hearts and deserve nothing less."  
The congregation began applauding again.  
"I would also like to congratulate Burt Hummel and Carole Hudson-Hummel, the groom's mother and stepfather, and Shelby Corcoran and Hiram and Leroy Berry, the bride's mother and fathers, as well as their siblings, Kurt Hummel, Ally Hudson-Hummel and Beth Corcoran.  
"I met Finn and Rachel for the first time our junior year of high school. I met Finn first because he recruited me for the Glee club. He approached me in the hall with another usher today, Artie Abrams, and said, 'Hey Sam. My name's Finn. This is Artie.' I told him I knew who he was because he was quarterback. He told me that made him super, super cool, (the crowd laughed) and he wanted to talk to me about Glee club. I was reluctant to join, but I met the love of my life there and made so many great friends.  
"Finn and Rachel are both amazing people. Finn and I began our relationship as rivals for the quarterback position; today, we are best friends. We bonded particularly our junior year, when we were roommates at Nationals for Glee club. That week we had such a great time and stayed up well past sane hours laughing and playing on the xbox and just being ourselves. He's one of my role models: he knows who he is. He is a jock and a Glee boy, and he doesn't let that bother him. He's great at everything he does and recognizes that he can't please everyone, but he can make himself happy and he does that. And he's such a kind person. He has that way of always making you feel good about yourself, even when everyone else is making you feel bad about yourself.  
"Now we come to Rachel. When I first met her I was a little intimidated by her big personality and desire to be in the spotlight. Once you get to know her though, there's so much more to Rachel than that. She's a sweet girl and Finn is very lucky to have her at his side. Doesn't she look beautiful tonight? And so do her bridesmaids, especially her Maid of Honor, the love of my life, Quinn Fabray.  
"I would like to ask everyone to raise your glasses and join me in a toast to Finn Christopher Hudson and Rachel Barbara Berry Hudson."  
The glasses clinked and dinner was served. The catering was amazing and Rachel had never tasted better food. Shrimp for the appetizer, then salad, then steak with potatoes and vegetables, and of course, the wedding cake!  
The cake had five layers, with F+R written on the bottom layer.  
As the guests ate, Finn and Rachel made their way around the party room to greet their guests. Not just their former teammates were there, but their advisor, Mr. Schuester, was there as well, with his wife, their former guidance counselor, Ms. Pillsbury, who was now Mrs. Schuester.  
"I always knew you two were going to be the first Glee couple to walk down the aisle!" Mr. Schuester said as he hugged Finn and Rachel. "You both look wonderful."  
"Thanks, Mr. Schue," Finn said.  
"I remember the time you came into my office saying you loved Finn so much you wanted to lock yourself in your room and cry," Mrs. Schuester said. "Now you're married!"  
"You said that?" Finn asked.  
"Yeah, I said that," Rachel said. "But hey, now we're married!"  
They moved on to the next table and when they had finished circulating tables. They took pictures with their families, the maid of honor and best man, the bridesmaids and ushers. They danced on the floor to music the Glee club had used over the years and then it was time for the throwing of the bouquet.  
Rachel threw the bouquet and turned around, to see that Quinn had caught it!  
"Looks like there's going to be another Glee wedding soon!" Kurt declared.  
"We'll see!" Sam said to Kurt.  
It was time for the newlyweds to be led away to their honeymoon in St. Lucia. Arm in arm, they left the reception hall, with confetti being thrown on them. They said goodbye to their parents and got in the limousine, now being driven away to the airport.  
"Rachel Hudson, you look so beautiful tonight," Finn said, kissing his wife.  
"I love hearing that," Rachel said. "Rachel Hudson. Sounds good in my opinion."  
"I love the way that sounds," Finn said. "I don't know about you, but I'm very happy."  
"I'm so happy," Rachel said. "So, so happy. I can't believe I found you!"  
"I can't believe I found you!" Finn said. "Would you like some champagne?"  
"I would love some," Rachel said.  
Finn poured some champagne into two cups and held his up. "Here's to us!"  
"To us," Rachel said, clicking her glass against Finn's. "I love you."  
"I love you."  
The limo pulled into the airport and they were greeted by an airport staff member. "Finn and Rachel Hudson?" he asked.  
Finn and Rachel nodded, smiling at hearing their names together.  
"See that jet? It's all yours!"  
"A private jet?" Finn said.  
"A private jet," the staff member said. "They're ready for you."  
"Our parents are going to be broke after this," Rachel said as they boarded the jet. A basket of flowers sat on the jet, next to an envelope with their names on it. "Want to open it?" Rachel asked.  
"You open it," Finn said.  
Rachel opened the envelope and read the card in it out loud: "To Finn and Rachel: Enjoy your private flight to St. Lucia and your honeymoon! We love you! Love, your families and friends."  
She turned to Finn. "That's so sweet!"  
They sat down on the flight and fell asleep before long, Rachel's head in Finn's lap and Finn's head on Rachel's shoulder.  
Tonight, Finn and Rachel both realized that everything they'd gone through was worth it. All the hurt, all the heartbreak, every moment they'd gone through had led up to this. They were made for each other and now, they were married, preparing to spend their lives together and have a family together.


	12. Chapter 12: New Beginnings

___Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited or alerted this story! I seriously can't believe I'm almost done! One more chapter is left! Enjoy the penultimate chapter and don't forget to read and review! Watch for Chapter 13 within the next few days! Finishing the story is sad - I've loved working on it so much!_

__Chapter 12: New Beginnings

"Is this place beautiful or what?" Rachel asked. She and Finn were sitting on the balcony of their hotel in St. Lucia as the sun set. The balcony provided a perfect view of the beach and the ocean and it was such a peaceful setting.  
"It's lovely," Finn said, putting his arm around Rachel. "I love you."  
"I love you too," Rachel said as the newlyweds shared a kiss. "Are you tired yet?"  
"I am getting a little tired," Finn said.  
They went into their hotel room, changed clothes and climbed into bed.  
"You know Finn, now that we're married, there are no boundaries," Rachel said.  
"Are you saying you want to - " Finn began.  
"Yes," Rachel said. "I am."  
"Are you sure you're ready for this?"  
"Let's do it."  
x  
"You're sure you're ready to go back to school?" Hiram asked Rachel.  
"I need to get an education. I can't just drop out," Rachel said.  
It was Ohio State's Fall 2013 move-in day. Rachel and Finn were going to live in an apartment a few blocks from campus. This was a fresh start for them. Rachel had missed practically an entire year because of her attack and Finn had struggled academically last year because he was so preoccupied by Rachel's injury.  
The summer had been amazing. The wedding had been the highlight and they had an amazing honeymoon in St. Lucia, swimming in the ocean, lying on the beach, scuba diving, sightseeing, watching fireworks and exploring the island.  
They got back to Lima only to find out that Sam had proposed to Quinn on the way home from Finn and Rachel's wedding. They were already in the process of planning their wedding, where Finn would be the best man and Rachel would be the maid of honor.  
Today, though, school was starting up again. The car was loaded and it was time to head down to Columbus. They said their goodbyes to their parents and began the drive.  
About an hour into the drive, Rachel started crying. "What's wrong?" Finn asked, pulling the car aside and hugging and kissing his wife.  
"Finn, I'm just so scared!" Rachel sobbed. "The last time I was on a college campus, I practically died."  
"Rach, you're going to be fine," Finn said. "You know how I know that?"  
"How?"  
"Because we're together. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Rach."  
"I'm feeling sick to my stomach. That's how nervous I am."  
"I'd be nervous about going back to school if that had happened to me. You'll be fine at Ohio State. We'll be together."  
"Are you sure?"  
"I'm absolutely positively sure."  
"I love you."  
"I love you, too."  
The rest of the drive went fine. They arrived in Columbus, checked into the apartment and began unpacking. Suddenly, Rachel collapsed on the couch.  
"Are you okay?" Finn asked, running over.  
"My back's sore," Rachel said. "And I'm feeling really tired."  
"Rachel, I'm getting really worried," Finn said. "So far today you've had a stomachache, a sore back and been really tired. Should I take you to the doctor?"  
"They said my back's going to bother me for a while, Finn," Rachel said. "I'm walking on my own again. That's something."  
"I know, but what about you feeling sick and tired?"  
"It's probably post traumatic stress disorder. I'm honestly not surprised it's kicking in. It would probably wait until I went back to school to kick in. Let's finish unpacking."  
"No, Rach, I'll finish unpacking. You go lie down in our room."  
"Okay." Rachel smiled. "I love the sound of that. OUR room."  
"Me too."  
The next morning, Rachel woke up in time for her first class and was so scared about going back on a college campus, she could hardly contain it. She ran to the bathroom and vomited.  
"Finn, I just threw up," Rachel gagged.  
Finn ran to the bathroom. "Oh my God Rachel! Are you sure you want to go to classes today?"  
"I'll have to start at some point. Might as well get it out of the way."  
"Okay, well if you feel sick during the day, just come back here."  
"Vomiting happens with PTSD a lot."  
Classes weren't as hard as Rachel had dreaded, although she was being forced to start all over. She was mildly scared walking around campus and was relieved to get back to the apartment that night.  
"How are you feeling?" Finn asked as soon as Rachel walked in.  
"Tired, but I doubt I'll throw up again."  
"Do you still feel nauseous?"  
"Well, not like I did this morning. I did some research on PTSD, and you feel fine after your vomiting episodes typically, but I'm tired and achy."  
"Rachel - you remember what happened the first night of our honeymoon, right?"  
"How could I forget?"  
"Do you think - "  
"I doubt it. We only did it once."  
"Have you missed your period?"  
"I don't know, it's supposed to come this week. Come on Finn, we did it once. Do you seriously think I'm pregnant?"  
"Whatever."  
x  
Two weeks later, Finn and Rachel were in the stands at the Ohio State vs. Miami football game. Sam and Quinn had taken the bus to Columbus with other Miami students and were sitting with Finn and Rachel in the stands. They were asking for all sorts of advice for their wedding, which they had scheduled during Miami's spring break.  
About halfway through the second quarter, Rachel began feeling sick and ran to the bathroom. She made it just in time and threw up in the toilet as soon as she was in a stall.  
"Rachel?" Rachel unlocked the stall and saw Quinn standing by the sink.  
"Quinn, I just threw up."  
"Seriously?"  
"Yeah, you know I've had a bad bout with PTSD. This is the fifth time I've thrown up since I got here. I'm tired and sore all the time. I've gained four pounds and my eating habits haven't even changed. And I missed my period."  
"Are you sure you aren't pregnant? That's almost exactly what happened when I first got pregnant."  
"I don't know. Let's just get back to the boys."  
Rachel held back sobs on the way back to Finn and Sam in the stands. Quinn put her arm around Rachel as they walked.  
"What happened?" Sam asked as soon as the girls got back.  
"I threw up. Again," Rachel blurted out.  
"Okay, we're going to the hospital," Finn said.  
"I'll drive you guys," Sam said.  
"Isn't that unnecessary, Finn?" Rachel protested.  
"I don't think throwing up five times over the course of less than two weeks is common," Finn said.  
"Rachel, you need to get to the hospital," Quinn said.  
Sam drove the car to the hospital with Rachel lying on the back seat, with her head in Finn's lap. Rachel and Finn were called in minutes after arriving at the hospital, with Sam and Quinn waiting for them in the waiting room.  
After talking with the doctor and taking a pregnancy test, it turned out Finn and Quinn's theory was correct: it wasn't post traumatic stress disorder. Rachel was pregnant.  
"Well, now you don't have to worry about me having PTSD!" Rachel said as she and Finn headed back to the waiting room.  
"I know!" Finn said. "I'm so excited! Aren't you?"  
"We're already starting our family! Good thing we have a two-bedroom apartment, because we'll be needing that extra bedroom in nine months!"  
"Who should we tell first? Just to warn you, my mom is going to want to start shopping for baby stuff with you right away."  
"We can call our parents tonight, but let's tell Sam and Quinn first. After all, they were nice enough to bring us here."  
"Sounds good!"  
"I'm pregnant!" Rachel declared to Sam and Quinn as they went into the waiting room.  
"So, I guess I'll have to get your Maid of Honor dress resized?" Quinn said, hugging Rachel. "You'll be pregnant for my wedding."  
"Sorry," Rachel laughed.  
"Just kidding!" Quinn said. "I'm so happy for you."  
"A baby, huh?" Sam said. "Watching you two together and how much you care for each other, you guys are going to be great parents."  
The four exchanged a group hug.  
That evening, Finn and Rachel called their parents who were almost as excited as they were. As Finn had predicted, his mother was overjoyed and wanted to take Rachel shopping for maternity clothes and clothes for the baby right away.  
The baby may have held back others from college careers, but not Finn and Rachel. Rather, their unborn child was their motivation. They studied as hard as they could, and by mid-terms, they both had straight A's, a first for Finn. Rachel was still going to biweekly physical therapy, but was getting her strength back and was in pain less often. In their apartment at night, when they weren't studying, they would lie on their bed, resting their hands on Rachel's stomach, feeling the baby kicking.  
They both finished the first semester with straight A's. Rachel kept talking about how proud she was of Finn ("Just look at how far you've come!") but Finn was sure he was more proud of Rachel.  
By winter break, they had reached the sixteen-week mark, and while getting the baby's gender checked, a surprising discovery was made: the baby was twins. A boy and a girl.  
So now came the challenge of getting two of everything. Two high chairs, two car seats, two cribs.  
That spring, Rachel was a month from her due date and the Maid of Honor in Sam and Quinn's wedding, praying the babies wouldn't make an appearance until after the wedding. It was bad enough that her baby bump would probably be the first thing she noticed when she looked at pictures, but Quinn was adamant that Rachel be the Maid of Honor. The ceremony went fine, but the babies were kicking more than usual. During the speech, Rachel felt lots of pain in her stomach - could she be going into labor?  
She had to wait until after the reception. It was Sam and Quinn's special day. She wasn't going to steal the spotlight.  
As Rachel and Finn left the wedding reception, Rachel grabbed Finn's hand. "Finn, my water broke."  
"When?"  
"Just now. I felt like labor was starting a few hours ago, but I didn't want to ruin Sam and Quinn's wedding."  
"Avoiding the spotlight now, huh? Okay, let's go to the hospital."  
Finn drove Rachel to the hospital as fast as he could, still in their dress and tux, and two hours later, their babies had been delivered. Ryan Nicholas Hudson was born at 12:01 a.m. and weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces. Emma Grace Hudson was born at 12:08 a.m., weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces.  
"She stayed so calm throughout the whole process," the doctor said, putting Emma in Rachel's arms, while Ryan was in Finn's arms. "She was just squeezing your hand the whole time. We rarely have people that calm, especially young people."  
"Please," Rachel said. "After nearly dying last year and then having major spine surgery, I can handle delivering babies."  
"Well, you two made two beautiful babies," the doctor said. "Of course, looking at you two, that's not a surprise."  
"Thank you," Rachel said. Then Ryan let out a cry.  
"Hey, honey," Finn gooed to Ryan. "It's your daddy."  
"I'll let the four of you have some family time," the doctor said, stepping out of the room."  
"Family time," Rachel said. "I like the sound of that. The four of us are a family."  
"We are," Finn said. "They're just as beautiful as you are."  
"Please," Rachel said. "They got your genes, because they're so beautiful."  
"Should we call our parents?" Finn said. "They're probably freaking out at this point."  
"Yeah," Rachel said. "Can I hold Ryan while you call your parents?"  
"Only if I can hold Emma!" Finn said.  
"Deal," Rachel said. She took her son and handed Finn their daughter. She cradled her son as she heard Finn on the phone.  
"Hi Mom! Yes, Mom, don't freak out. They're both beautiful and perfect. Ryan Nicholas Hudson and Emma Grace Hudson. Yes, they're doing fine, Rachel's doing fine, too. We're both pretty tired. You can come see us tomorrow."  
"How's your mom?" Rachel asked when Finn hung up the phone.  
"A little too excited!"  
"I bet. Would you mind calling my parents, too? I'm just - too wiped out from giving birth."  
"Of course I will." Finn began dialing Rachel's dads' phone number as Rachel looked into her son's face. Then she looked at her daughter in her husband's arms. Emma let out a cry.  
"Want to be with Mommy?" Finn asked his daughter. "Let's go be with Mommy and your brother."  
"I love them," Rachel said with a smile. "Don't you?"  
"I do," Finn said. "I really do. We did it. We're parents."


	13. Chapter 13: Into the Real World

_AUTHOR NOTES: WOW! I can't believe this is actually my last chapter! I'm so sad to be ending this story - out of all the stories I've written, this is definitely one of my favorites! Thank you to everyone who read it, reviewed it, favorited it or alerted it. I cried when writing this chapter - wait, I cried when writing most of it._

_I definitely plan on writing another Glee FanFic, so be sure to keep checking my profile!_

_And here we go - enjoy the last :( chapter of "The Future!"_

Chapter 13: Into the Real World

The Ohio State University Class of 2017 was standing behind the stadium, waiting to enter. Finn couldn't believe he and Rachel had actually gotten to this point. Their high school friends had graduated last year, but because of Rachel's attack, Rachel had to start a year late and Finn's grades his first year were too low to let him stay on the four-year track.  
The past five years had been quite a journey that neither Finn nor Rachel would have believed possible. Rachel's attack in Fall 2012 had put their lives into perspective, helping them appreciate every moment they had together. This led to the proposal and the wedding. Less than a year after their wedding they were the parents of twins. Finn and Rachel both ended up needing to get part-time jobs to support their children as they made their way through college, but they did not regret having children at all.  
Ryan and Emma had turned three just a few weeks before their parents graduated from college, and they were now walking, talking, preparing to start preschool in the fall and bringing joy to their parents every day.  
The New Directions had stayed close throughout their college years, and Finn and Rachel's wedding had only been the first of many. Sam and Quinn married the night before Ryan and Emma were born, then Kurt and Blaine were joined that winter. Within the past year, Artie and Brittany, Mike and Tina, Puck and Lauren, Santana and her girlfriend from California, and Matt and Mercedes had all walked the aisle.  
Finn and Rachel were both graduating summa cum laude today. No one would have guessed, and Finn was still questioning if this was really happening. Who would have thought two people who had experienced such a traumatic event, then raised two children, would be at this point? Finn had a degree in education and Rachel's was in music education. They were both in the process of looking for jobs, but the search looked promising.  
As Finn and Rachel awaited their turn to walk the stage, Finn felt a tug on his robe. He looked into Rachel's smiling face.  
"I'm so proud of you, Finn. I never would have made it without you."  
"For once I have to disagree, Rach. I wouldn't have made it without you."  
The graduation march began and the graduates were seated. The ceremony was slow and just the awarding of diplomas took forever. Finn thought the H's would never come, but they did.  
"Finn Christopher Hudson," the MC said. As Finn went up to accept his diploma, he heard the loudest cheer he'd ever heard behind him, and knew exactly who it was coming from.  
"Rachel Barbara Berry Hudson," the MC said. Heading back to his seat, Finn looked over his shoulder to watch Rachel receive her diploma. When she got down the stairs, he gave her a big hug.  
The rest of the diplomas were awarded, the tassels were turned, the band played the alma mater and the Class of 2017 exited the stadium. Hand in hand, Finn and Rachel looked for their family. Then they heard two voices they loved to hear: "Mommy! Daddy!"  
They turned to see Ryan and Emma running up to them, followed by Hiram, Leroy, Shelby, Beth, Burt, Carole, Ally, Kurt and Blaine.  
"Hey, sweeties!" Rachel said, hugging her children.  
"Were they good at the ceremony?" Finn asked his mother.  
"As good as gold and better," Carole said. "We're so proud of you two. A near-death experience, two children and summa cum laude. How did you do it?"  
"It's because of him," Rachel said, linking her arm in Finn's.  
"No, it's because of her," Finn said.  
The cameras were taken out and pictures were taken of Finn and Rachel with their children, with their parents and with Kurt and Blaine.  
"Mommy, Daddy, can you play with us more now?" Emma asked.  
"We can," Rachel laughed. "We can."  
"We got presents for you!" Ryan said.  
"You did?" Finn said. "Thank you!" He spotted Kurt winking at him and then knew that Kurt had gotten the gifts with the kids.  
"This is for you, Daddy," Ryan said, handing Finn his present.  
"I wonder what it is?" Finn said. He opened his present from his children. It was a beautiful gold lapel pin.  
"Thank you!" Finn said, hugging Ryan and Emma. "How about you give Mommy her gift now?"  
"Here you go, Mommy," Ryan said, handing Rachel a giftwrapped box.  
Rachel opened the box to see gorgeous turquoise earrings. "I love them!" she said. "Thank you, Ryan. Thank you, Emma."  
"Uncle Kurt helped us," Emma said.  
"Well, thank you for helping them pick such great gifts, Kurt," Finn said.  
The family left the stadium, ready to begin the next phase of their lives.  
x  
That weekend, the Hudson-Hummel and Berry families held a graduation party for Finn and Rachel back in Lima. Last year a party had been held for other members of the Glee club, except for Finn and Rachel, who were a year behind. Everyone had come home for this event, and the group decided that every year, they would set aside one weekend where they'd all come back to Lima and see each other.  
Finn and Rachel had written a speech to give to their family members and friends, since they had not gotten to speak at graduation. Finn was reading it, because Rachel got emotional easily:  
"We would like to thank everyone for being here with us today. It has been five years since we embarked on our college adventure and a lot has happened since we departed for college in August 2012. There are many people who we would not have gotten to this point without and we must acknowledge them.  
"First, to our parents, be they biological, adoptive, or step: Hiram Berry, Leroy Berry, Shelby Corcoran, Carole Hudson-Hummel and Burt Hummel, and to our siblings, Kurt Hummel, Ally Hudson-Hummel and Beth Corcoran. We can not put into words what a fantastic job you have done with us. Thank you for being there for us every step of the way, supporting us and encouraging us, always being so interested in what we were doing. We love you.  
"When we joined Glee club our sophomore year of high school, we had no idea what an impact it would have on our lives. It was more than an after school activity, through that, we met our brothers and sisters who were born into other families. Thank you to Artie Abrams, Blaine Anderson, Mike Chang, Tina Cohen-Chang, Kurt Hummel Mercedes Jones Rutherford, Santana Lopez, Brittany Pierce Abrams, Noah Puckerman, and Lauren Zizes Puckerman.  
"An extra special thank you to our best friends, Sam Evans and Quinn Fabray Evans. We began our relationships with you as rivals, but today, you are the best friends we could ask for. During that horrible time period following Rachel's attack, your phones were on, regardless of how late it got. You drove us to the hospital the day we learned we were expanding our family. Thank you so much - we don't deserve you!  
"Ryan and Emma, you are too young to know the significance of today, you are too young even to read, but you are our greatest pride and joy. The day you came into our lives, a new light shone, outshining the darkness of the past. You make us smile, you make us laugh and we love you both more than we can say. Being your mom and dad means more to us than our previous dreams - roles on Broadway and Heisman trophies - ever could.  
"Rachel, I can not even begin to say how lucky I am to have you in my life. You love me unconditionally, talk to me late at night and make me feel good about myself when everyone else wants me to feel terrible. When I first met you, I knew there was more to you than what everyone else saw, but there's even more to you than I expected. It doesn't matter to me that I never became a big-time athlete. My world is complete because I still have you. I can not put into words how much I love you and how proud of you I am. You got me to this day. Thank you." Finn concluded his part of the speech and let Rachel say her part about him.  
"Finn, I don't know the right way to say I love you. You were there for me every step of the way when my life was nearly taken. When life no longer seemed worth it, you brought me back to life. You've forever changed the person I am and strive to be. You are my partner, my best friend, my other half, my better half. Whenever you are around, I never feel lonely or scared or insecure. I always feel safe and loved when I am with you. What I did to deserve you I'll never know."  
After Rachel finished her speech, she and Finn exchanged a big hug and a kiss.  
"We're really proud of both of you," Carole said.  
"Thanks, Mom," Finn said.  
The party began and the group stayed late into the night. By eleven the only people left were Finn, Rachel, Sam, Quinn and some family members but Finn and Rachel noticed their kids were getting tired and should probably get to bed soon.  
"I think our kids are getting tired," Finn said. "Thanks for coming into Lima, guys."  
"We do have another surprise," Sam said with a smile. "Do you think Ryan and Emma would like a little cousin?"  
"Quinn!" Rachel said. "You're pregnant?"  
"Yeah," Quinn said. "I'm due in December."  
"That's so exciting!" Finn said. "Trust me, being parents is something you guys will be naturals at, seeing as how well you took care of Rach and me when she was dying and I was a mess."  
"We'll try our hardest to be half as good as you guys are to Ryan and Emma," Sam said, making Finn and Rachel blush. They said goodbye, then Finn and Rachel loaded Ryan and Emma into the car and drove to the hotel.  
x  
Two months later, Finn, Rachel, Ryan and Emma had moved to a suburb of Cleveland. Finn would be teaching at that suburb's middle school and Rachel would be teaching music and coaching the choir at the high school. That fall, Ryan and Emma would be starting preschool. Cleveland was within two hours of Lima, so they could regularly go back to visit with their families. So far they loved their new house, which had four bedrooms (in case they decided to expand their family again) and a big backyard for the kids to play in. The public elementary school down the road was excellent and the kids were already playing with some of the other kids from the neighborhood.  
That night, Finn and Rachel put the kids to bed and went downstairs and decided to look through some of their old things.  
"I never would have guessed this would be how we'd be living at this point," Rachel said as she came across a picture of herself as a toddler, already in a dance competition. "When I was little, I was always sure I was going to be on Broadway."  
Finn sighed. "Rachel, I'm so sorry that didn't happen. I'm so sorry about everything."  
"What are you apologizing for?"  
"I know how badly you wanted to become a star. Instead, we've settled in a small town and are probably going to live a perfectly normal life."  
"Are you kidding? This is better. Being a star was so egotistical of me. I probably wouldn't have had you come into my life if I remained so locked into that. I don't need a leading role on Broadway or a Tony to make me happy. All I need to make me happy is you and Ryan and Emma. I have all three of those things."  
"I like this life better, too." Finn paused, realizing that when he was young, he had wanted to be a big sports star. "Had I stuck with football, I doubt I'd have this life. I'm happier than I've ever been."  
"So am I." Rachel kissed Finn's cheek. "So am I. I have wonderful friends, I have a great family, I have two adorable children and I have the best husband I could have ever asked for."  
"I can't imagine being happier than I am with you right now."  
"What would you think of more kids?"  
"Are you telling me you're pregnant?"  
"Not yet. Just the possibility."  
"Well, I can't imagine loving anyone as much as I love you and Ryan and Emma, but I'm sure I'd love more children just as much."  
"I can say the same thing."  
"I love you so much, Rachel Barbara Berry Hudson," Finn said, pulling Rachel in.  
"I'll love you always and forever, Finn Christopher Hudson," Rachel said.  
_We turned out fine_, Finn thought as he and Rachel sat in their living room. _Against all odds, this is the happiest I've ever been and I wouldn't change a thing about my life now_. He smiled to himself as he and Rachel headed upstairs to bed.


	14. Author's Note

Wanted to let everyone know I updated this story so it would fit with the rest of the Finchel stories. The plotline is the same, the only difference is that Finn and Rachel are together and have been since Nationals their junior year.

Hope you enjoy the story!

The prequel, "Senior Year:" .net/s/6920417

A story about Finchel set in the future: .net/s/7054900/


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